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Professor  George  A,  Rice 


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ALL-OVER-THE-WORLD  LIBRARY 

By  OLIVER  OPTIC 


Illustrated,  Price  per  Volume  $1.25 


FIRST   SERIES 
A  MISSING  MILLION 

Or  THE  ADVENTURES  OF  Louis  BBLGRAVB 

A  MILLIONAIRE   AT  SIXTEEN 

Or  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  GUARDIAN  MOTHBR 

A  YOUNG  KNIGHT-ERRANT 

Or  CRUISING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES 

STRANGE  SIGHTS  ABROAD 

Or  A  VOYAGE  IN  EUROPEAN  WATERS 


SECOND   SERIES 
AMERICAN  BOYS  AFLOAT 

Or  CRUISING  IN  THE  ORIENT 

THE  YOUNG  NAVIGATORS 

Or  THB  FOREIGN  CRUISE  OF  THE  MAUD 

UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE 

Or  YOUNG  ADVENTURERS  IN  AFRICA 

ASIATIC  BREEZES 

Or  STUDENTS  ON  THB  WING 


THIRD  SERIES 
ACROSS    INDIA 

Or  LIVE  BOYS  IN  THB  FAR  EAST 

HALF    ROUND   THE    WORLD 

Or  AMONG  THE  UNCIVILIZED 

FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

Or  SIGHT-SEEING  IN  THE  TROPICS 


OTHER   VOLUMES  IN  PREPARATION 

ANY  VOLUME  SOLD  SEPARATELY 


LEE  AND  SHEPARD  Publishers  Boston 


YOUR    FIKST    SHOT.    LOFIR."    RAID    SCOTT. 


Page  30. 


All-Over-the-World  Library — Third  Volume  of  Third  Series 


FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 


OR 


SIGHT-SEEING   IN   THE   TROPICS 


BY 

OLIVER  OPTIC 

AUTHOR   OF 

"  THE  ARMY  AND   NAVY  SERIES  "  "  YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD,  FIRST  AND  SECOND 
SERIES  "    "  THE    BOAT-CLUB   STORIES  "  "  THE   ONWARD  AND  UPWARD  SERIES  " 

"  THE    GREAT  WESTERN    SERIES  "    "  THE   WOODVILLE    STORIES  "    "  THE 

LAKE  SHORE  SERIES "    "THE  YACHT-CLUB  SERIES*'  "THE  RIVERDALB 

STORIES"  "THE  BOAT-BUILDER  SERIES"  "THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY 

AFLOAT"  "THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY — ON   LAND"  "THE  STARRY 

FLAG  SERIES  "  "  ALL-OVER-THE-WORLD   LIBRARY,  FIRST  SECOND 

AND    THIRD  SERIES"    COMPRISING  "A  MISSING    MILLION"   "A 

MILLIONAIRE    AT    SIXTEEN"   "A   YOUNG    KNIGHT-ERRANT" 

"  STRANGE   SIGHTS  ABROAD  "  "  AMERICAN  BOYS  AFLOAT  " 

"  THE    YOUNG    NAVIGATORS  "   "  UP    AND    DOWN     THE 

NILE"     "ASTATIC     BREEZES"       "ACROSS     INDIA" 

"HALF   ROUND    THE   WORLD"    ETC.,    ETC.,    ETC. 


BOSTON 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 

10     MILK     STREET 
1896 


COPYBIGHT,  1896,  BY  LEE  AND  SHEPARD 


All  Rights  Reserved 


FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 


TYPOGRAPHY  BY  C.  J.  PETERS  &  SON,  BOSTON. 
PRESSWORK  BY  BERWICK  &  SMITH. 


TO 
MY  APPRECIATIVE   AND  VALUED   FRIEND 

FEEDEEICK    D.     EUGGLES,     ESQ 

RESIDING  ON  A  HISTORIC    HILL   IN 
HARDWICK,    MASS. 

ts  Uolume 


IS   RESPECTFULLY   AND   CORDIALLY 
DEDICATED. 


M529793 


PREFACE 


"FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS"  is  the  third 
volume  of  the  third  series  of  the  "  All-Over-the- 
World  Library."  When  the  young  millionaire  and 
his  three  companions  of  about  his  own  age,  with  a 
chosen  list  of  near  and  dear  friends,  had  made  the 
voyage  "Half  Round  the  World,"  the  volume  with 
this  title  left  them  all  at  Sarawak  in  the  island 
of  Borneo.  The  four  young  explorers,  as  they  be- 
came, were  permitted  to  spend  three  weeks  there 
hunting,  fishing,  and  ascending  some  of  the  rivers, 
while  the  rest  of  the  party  proceeded  in  the  Guard- 
ian-Mother to  Siam.  The  younger  members  of 
the  ship's  company  believed  they  had  seen  enough 
of  temples,  palaces,  and  fine  gardens  in  the  great 
cities  of  the  East,  and  desired  to  live  a  wilder  life 
for  a  brief  period. 

They  were  provided  with  a  steam-launch,  pre- 
pared for  long  trips ;  and  they  ascended  the  Sarawak, 
the  Sadong,  and  the  Simujan  Rivers,  and  had  all 
the  hunting,  fishing,  and  exploring  they  desired. 
They  visited  the  villages  of  the  Sea  and  Hill  Dyaks, 
and  learned  what  they  could  of  their  manners  and 
customs,  penetrating  the  island  from  the  sea  to 


Vi  PREFACE 

the  mountains.  They  studied  the  flora  and  the 
fauna  of  the  forests,  and  were  exceedingly  inter- 
ested in  their  occupation  for  about  a  week,  when 
they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  "  too  much  of  a 
good  thing  "  became  wearisome ;  and,  more  from  the 
love  of  adventure  than  for  any  other  reason,  they 
decided  to  proceed  to  Bangkok,  and  to  make  the 
voyage  of  nine  hundred  miles  in  the  Blanchita,  as 
they  had  named  the  steam-launch,  which  voyage 
was  accomplished  without  accident. 

After  the  young  explorers  had  looked  over  the 
capital  of  Siam,  the  Guardian-Mother  and  her  con- 
sort made  the  voyage  to  Saigon,  the  capital  of 
French  Cochin-China,  where  the  visit  of  the  tourists 
was  a  general  frolic,  with  "lots  of  fun,"  as  the 
young  people  expressed  it ;  and  then,  crossing  the 
China  Sea,  made  the  port  of  Manila,  the  capital  of 
the  Philippine  Islands,  where  they  explored  the 
city,  and  made  a  trip  up  the  Pasig  to  the  Lake  of 
the  Bay.  From  this  city  they  made  the  voyage 
to  Hong-Kong,  listening  to  a  very  long  lecture  on 
the  way  in  explanation  of  the  history,  manners,  and 
customs,  and  the  peculiarities  of  the  people  of  China. 
They  were  still  within  the  tropics,  and  devoted  them- 
selves to  the  business  of  sight-seeing  with  the  same 
vigor  and  interest  as  before.  But  most  of  them 
had  read  so  much  about  China,  as  nearly  every 
American  has,  that  many  of  the  sights  soon  began 
to  seem  like  an  old  story  to  them. 


PREFACE  Vll 

Passing  out  of  the  Torrid  Zone,  the  two  steamers 
proceeded  to  the  north,  obtaining  a  long  view  of 
Formosa,  and  hearing  a  lecture  about  it.  Their 
next  port  of  call  was  Shang-hai,  reached  by  ascend- 
ing the  Woo-Sung.  From  this  port  they  made  an 
excursion  up  the  Yang-tse-Chiang,  which  was  an  ex- 
ceedingly interesting  trip  to  them.  The  ships  then 
made  the  voyage  to  Tien-tsin,  from  which  they 
ascended  by  river  in  the  steam-launch  to  a  point 
thirteen  miles  from  Pekin,  going  from  there  to  the 
capital  by  the  various  modes  of  conveyance  in  use 
in  China.  They  visited  the  sights  of  the  great  city 
under  the  guidance  of  a  mandarin,  educated  at  Yale 
College.  Some  of  the  party  made  the  trip  to  the 
loop-wall,  near  Pekin.  Returning  to  Tien-tsin,  with 
the  diplomatic  mandarin,  who  had  accepted  an  invi- 
tation to  go  to  Japan  in  the  Guardian-Mother,  they 
sailed  for  that  interesting  country,  where  the  next 
volume  of  the  series  will  take  them. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  say  that  the  Guardian- 
Mother,  now  eighteen  months  from  New  York,  and 
half  round  the  world,  reached  Tien-tsin  May  25, 
1893 ;  and  therefore  nothing  relating  to  the  late  war 
between  China  and  Japan  is  to  be  found  in  this 
volume.  Possibly  the  four  young  explorers  would 
have  found  more  sights  to  see,  and  more  adventures 
to  enjoy,  if  they  had  struck  either  of  the  belligerent 
nations  during  the  war ;  but  the  ship  sailed  for  the 
United  States  before  hostilities  were  begun. 


Vlll  PREFACE 

Of  course  the  writer  has  been  compelled  to  con- 
sult many  volumes  in  writing  this  book  ;  and  he  takes 
great  pleasure  in  mentioning  among  them  the  very 
interesting  and  valuable  work  of  Mr.  W.  T.  Horna- 
day,  the  accomplished  traveller  and  scientist,  "  Two 
Years  in  the  Jungle."  This  book  contains  all  that 
one  need  know  about  Borneo,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
writer's  trip  in  India  among  the  elephants.  His 
researches  in  regard  to  the  orang-outang  appear  to 
have  exhausted  the  subject ;  though  I  do  not  believe 
he  has  found  the  "  missing  link,"  if  he  is  looking 
for  it.  Professor  Legge  contributed  several  articles 
to  "  Chambers's  Encyclopaedia,"  which  contain  the 
most  interesting  and  valuable  matter  about  China  to 
be  derived  from  any  work ;  for  he  lived  for  years  in 
that  country,  travelled  extensively,  and  learned  the 
language.  I  am  under  great  obligations  to  these 
authors. 

The  author  is  under  renewed  obligations  to  his 
readers,  young  and  old,  who  have  been  his  constant 
friends  during  more  than  forty  years,  for  the  favor 
with  which  they  have  received  a  whole  library  of 
his  books,  and  for  the  kind  words  they  have  spoken 
to  him,  both  verbally  and  by  letter. 

WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS. 
DORCHESTER,  MASS. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I.  PAGE 

THE  BORNEO  HUNTERS  AND  EXPLORERS 1 

CHAPTER  II. 
A  VOYAGE  UP  THE  SARAWAK  RIVER 10 

CHAPTER  III. 
SOMETHING  ABOUT  BORNEO  AND  ITS  PEOPLE    ...      19 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  SPECULATION  IN  CROCODILES 29 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  HUNDRED  AND  EIGHT  FEET  OF  CROCODILE  ...      39 

CHAPTER  VI. 
THE  VOYAGE  UP  THE  SADONG  TO  SIMUJAN      ...      48 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  SPIRITED  BATTLE  WITH  ORANG-OUTANGS     ...      58 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  PERFORMANCE  OF  VERY  AGILE  GIBBONS  ....      67 

ix 


X  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  IX.  PAGE 

A  VISIT  TO  A  DYAK  LONG-HOUSE 77 

CHAPTER  X. 
THE  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  DYAKS  ...      87 

CHAPTER  XI. 
STEAMBOATING  THROUGH  A  GREAT  FOREST  ....      96 

CHAPTER  XII. 
A  FORMIDABLE  OBSTRUCTION  REMOVED 106 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  CAPTAIN'S  ASTOUNDING  PROPOSITION   ....    115 

CHAPTER  XIY. 

DOWN   THE   SlMUJAN   AND  UP   THE   SARAWAK      .      .      .      125 

CHAPTER  XY. 
ON  THE  VOYAGE  TO  POINT  CAMBODIA 134 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
AN  EXCITING  RACE  IN  THE  CHINA  SEA 143 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
THE  END  OF  THE  VOYAGE  TO  BANGKOK 153 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Louis's  DOUBLE-DINNER  ARGUMENT 163 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
A  HASTY  GLANCE  AT  BANGKOK 172 


CONTENTS  XL 

CHAPTER   XX.  PAGE 

A  VIEW  OF  COCHIN-CHINA  AND  SIAM 181 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
ON  THE  VOYAGE  TO  SAIGON 191 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
IN  THE  DOMINIONS  OF  THE  FRENCH 201 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
A  LIVELY  EVENING  AT  THE  HOTEL 211 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

TONQUIN    AND    SIGHTS    IN   CHOLON 221 

CHAPTER   XXV. 
SEVERAL  HILARIOUS  FROLICS 231 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 

THE  VOYAGE  ACROSS  THE  CHINA  SEA 241 

i 
CHAPTER   XXVII. 

SOME  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  PHILIPPINES 250 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
THE  DESCRIPTION  OF  AN  EARTHQUAKY  CITY   .    .    .    260 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 
GOING  ON  SHORE  IN  MANILA 270 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

EXCURSIONS  ON  SHORE  AND  UP  THE  PASIG  .  .    280 


Xll  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXXI  PAGE 

HALF  A  LECTURE  ON  CHINESE  SUBJECTS      ....    290 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
THE  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  LECTURE 300 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  LECTURE 310 

CHAPTER  XXXIY. 
SIGHT-SEEING  IN  HONG-KONG  AND  CANTON     .    .    .    321 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 
SHANG-HAI  AND  THE  YANG-TSZE-CHIANG    ....    332 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
THE  WALLS  AND  TEMPLES  OF  PEKIN  .  ...    342 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


"  YOUB  FIRST  SHOT,  Louis,"  SAID  SCOTT  .     .    Frontispiece 

PAGE 

"WHAT  HAVE  YOU  GOT  THERE,  MR.  BELGRAVE?"    .  41 

"YOU  ARE  NEAR  ENOUGH,  CAPTAIN" 99 

THE  BOAT  ROSE  GRACEFULLY  ON  THE  BILLOWS     .    .  132 

"  BUT  WHERE  is  FELIX?"  DEMANDED  MRS.  BLOSSOM,  161 

SHE  MADE  A  VIGOROUS  LEAP  INTO  THE  FORE-SHEETS,  267 

NATIVES  PREPARING  TOBACCO  IN  MANILA    ....  285 

TEMPLE  AND  GARDEN  IN  CHINA  .  329 


xiii 


FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER   I 

THE    BORNEO    HUNTERS    AND    EXPLORERS 

THE  Guardian-Mother,  attended  by  the  Blanche, 
had  conveyed  the  tourists,  in  their  voyage  all  over 
the  world,  to  Sarawak,  the  capital  of  a  rajahship 
on  the  north-western  coast  of  the  island  of  Borneo. 
The  town  is  situated  on  both  sides  of  a  river  of  the 
same  name,  about  eighteen  miles  from  its  mouths. 

The  steamer  on  which  was  the  pleasant  home  of 
the  millionaire  at  eighteen,  who  was  accompanied  by 
his  mother  and  a  considerable  party,  all  of  whom 
have  been  duly  presented  to  the  reader  in  the  for- 
mer volumes  of  the  series,  lay  in  the  middle  of  the 
river.  The  black  smoke  was  .  pouring  out  of  her 
smokestack,  and  the  hissing  steam  indicated  that 
the  vessel  was  all  ready  to  go  down  the  river  to  the 
China  Sea.  Her  anchor  had  been  hove  up,  and 
the  pilot  was  in  the  pilot-house  waiting  for  the  com- 
mander to  strike  the  gong  in  the  engine-room  to  start 
the  screw. 

Just  astern  of  the  Guardian-Mother  was  a  very 
1 


2  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

trim  and  beautiful  steam-launch,  fifty  feet  in  length. 
The  most  prominent  persons  on  board  of  her  were 
the  quartette  of  American  boys,  known  on  board  of 
the  steamer  in  which  they  had  sailed  half  round  the 
world  as  the  "Big  Four."  Of  this  number  Louis 
Belgrave,  the  young  millionaire,  was  the  most  im- 
portant individual  in  the  estimation  of  his  compan- 
ions, though  happily  not  in  his  own. 

Like  a  great  many  other  young  men  of  eighteen, 
which  was  the  age  of  three  of  them,  while  the  fourth 
was  hardly  sixteen,  they  were  fond  of  adventure,  —  of 
hunting,  fishing,  and  sporting  in  general.  They  had 
gone  over  a  large  portion  of  Europe,  visited  the 
countries  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  crossed 
India,  and  called  at  some  of  the  ports  of  Burma,  the 
Malay  peninsula,  Sumatra,  Java,  Celebes,  and  had 
reached  Sarawak  in  their  explorations. 

They  had  visited  many  of  the  great  cities  of  the 
world,  and  seen  the  temples,  monuments,  palaces,  and 
notable  structures  of  all  kinds  they  contain;  but 
they  had  become  tired  of  this  description  of  sight- 
seeing. When  the  island  of  Borneo  was  marked  on 
the  map  as  one  of  the  localities  to  be  visited,  the 
"  Big  Four "  had  a  meeting  in  the  boudoir,  as  one  of 
the  apartments  of  the  Guardian-Mother  was  called, 
and  voted  that  they  had  had  enough  of  temples, 
monuments,  and  great  cities  for  the  present. 

They  agreed  that  exploring  a  part  of  Borneo,  with 
the  incidental  hunting,  fishing,  and  study  of  natural 
history,  would  suit  them  better.  Louis  Belgrave  was 


THE   BORNEO   HUNTERS   AND  EXPLORERS        3 

appointed  a  committee  of  one  to  petition  the  com- 
mander to  allow  them  three  weeks  in  the  island  for 
this  purpose.  Captain  Einggold  suggested  to  Louis 
that  it  was  rather  selfish  to  leave  the  rest  of  the 
party  on  the  steamer,  stuck  in  the  mud  of  the  Sara- 
wak, while  they  were  on  the  rivers  and  in  the  woods 
enjoying  themselves. 

But  the  representative  of  the  "Big  Four"  pro- 
tested that  they  did  not  mean  anything  of  the  sort. 
They  did  not  care  a  straw  for  the  temples  and  other 
sights  of  Siam,  Cambodia,  and  French  Cochin-China ; 
and  while  they  were  exploring  Borneo  and  shooting 
orang-outangs,  the  Guardian-Mother  should  proceed 
to  Bangkok  and  Saigon,  and  the  rest  of  the  tourists 
could  enjoy  themselves  to  the  full  in  seeing  the  won- 
ders of  Farther  India. 

It  required  a  great  deal  of  discussion  to  induce 
the  commander,  and  then  the  mothers  of  two  of  the 
explorers,  to  assent  to  this  plan ;  but  the  objections 
were  finally  overcome  by  the  logic  and  the  eloquence 
of  Louis.  The  Blanche,  the  consort  of  the  Guardian- 
Mother,  having  on  board  the  owner,  known  as  Gen- 
eral Noury,  his  wife  and  his  father-in-law,  had 
nothing  to  do  with  this  difficult  question  j  but  the 
general  had  a  steam-launch,  which  he  was  kind 
enough  to  grant  for  the  use  of  the  explorers. 

The  third  engineer  of  the  ship  was  to  go  with  the 
quartette,  in  charge  of  the  engine ;  five  of  the  youn- 
gest of  the  seamen  were  selected  to  make  the  venture 
safer  than  it  might  otherwise  have  been.  Achang 


4  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

Bakir,  a  native  Bornean,  who  had  been  picked  up 
off  the  Nicobar  Islands,  after  the  wreck  of  the  dhow 
of  which  he  had  been  in  command,  was  to  be  the 
guide  and  interpreter. 

The  youngsters  and  their  assistants  had  taken 
their  places  on  board  of  the  "  Blanchita,"  as  Louis 
had  christened  the  craft,  and  she  was  to  accompany 
the  two  large  steamers  down  the  river.  But  the 
farewells  had  all  been  spoken,  the  hugging  and 
kissing  disposed  of,  and  the  tears  had  even  been 
wiped  away.  The  mothers  had  become  in  some 
degree  reconciled  to  the  separation  of  three  weeks. 

The  Guardian-Mother  started  her  screw,  and  began 
to  move  very  slowly  down  the  river,  amid  the  cheers 
and  salutations  of  the  officers,  soldiers,  and  citizens 
of  the  town.  The  Blanche  followed  her,  and  both 
steamers  fired  salutes  in  honor  of  the  spectators  to 
their  departure.  The  Blanchita  secured  a  position 
on  the  starboard  of  the  Guardian-Mother,  and  for 
three  hours  kept  up  a  communication  with  their 
friends  by  signals  and  shouts. 

Off  the  mouth  of  the  Moritabas,  one  of  the  outlets 
of  the  stream,  the  steamers  stopped  their  screws,  and 
the  "  Big  Four "  went  alongside  of  the  Guardian- 
Mother  ;  the  adieux  were  repeated,  and  then  the 
ships  laid  the  course  for  their  destination.  Both  of 
the  latter  kept  up  an  incessant  screaming  with  their 
steam  whistles,  and  the  party  on  board  of  them 
waved  their  handkerchiefs,  to  which  the  •"  Big  Four," 
assisted  by  the  sailors,  responded  in  like  manner, 


THE   BORNEO   HUNTERS   AND   EXPLORERS         5 

while  the  engineer  gave  whistle  for  whistle  in  feeble 
response. 

When  the  whistles  ceased,  and  the  signals  could 
no  longer  be  seen,  the  Blanchita  came  about,  and 
headed  for  the  Peak  of  Santubong  on  the  triangular 
island  formed  by  the  two  passes  of  the  Sarawak 
River.  The  explorers  watched  the  ships  till  they 
could  no  longer  be  seen,  and  then  headed  up  the  river. 

"  Faix,  the  bridges  betune  oursels  and  civiloization 
are  all  broke  down!"  exclaimed  Felix  McGavonty, 
who  sometimes  used  his  Milesian  dialect  in  order, 
as  he  put  it,  not  to  lose  his  mother's  brogue. 

"  Not  so  bad  as  that,  Felix ;  for  there  is  considera- 
ble civilization  lying  around  loose  in  Borneo,"  re- 
plied Louis  Belgrave. 

"Not  much  of  it  here  is  found,"  added  Achang 
Bakir,  the  Bornean. 

"Is  found  here,"  interposed  Morris  Woolridge, 
who  had  been  giving  the  native  lessons  in  English, 
for  he  mixed  with  it  the  German  idiom. 

"Rajah  Brooke  has  civilized  the  region  which  he 
governs,  and  the  Dutch  have  done  the  same  in  por- 
tions of  their  territory.  Professor  Giroud  gave  us 
the  lecture  on  Borneo,  and  we  shall  have  occasion  to 
review  some  of  it,"  added  Louis.  "  But  I  think  we 
had  better  give  some  attention  to  the  organization  of 
our  party  for  the  trip  up  the  Sarawak  River." 

"I  move,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  we  have  the  same 
organization  we  had  on  board  of  the  Maud,"  inter- 
posed Felix,  dropping  his  brogue.  "  That  means 


6  FOUR    YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

that  Mr.  Scott  shall  be  captain,  and  Morris  mate, 
while  Louis  and  myself  shall  be  the  deck-hands." 

"  Mr.  Chairman,  I  move  an  amendment  to  the  mo- 
tion, to  the  effect  that  Louis  shall  be  captain,  while 
I  serve  as  deck-hand,"  said  Scott. 

"I  hope  the  amendment  will  be  voted  down,  and 
that  the  original  motion  will  prevail,"  Louis  ob- 
jected. "  Captain  Scott,  in  command  of  the  Maud, 
on  a  voyage  of  two  thousand  miles,  proved  himself 
to  be  an  able  and  skilful  commander,  as  well  as  a 
prudent  and  successful  leader  in  several  difficult  sit- 
uations. He  is  the  right  person  for  the  position. 
Question!  Those  in  favor  of  the  amendment  of 
Mr.  Scott  will  signify  it  by  raising  the  right  hand." 

Scott  voted  for  his  own  motion,  and  he  was  the 
only  one. 

"  Contrary  minded,  by  the  same  sign,"  continued 
Louis,  raising  his  right  hand,  Felix  and  Morris  vot- 
ing the  same.  "  The  amendment  is  lost.  The  ques- 
tion is  now  on  the  original  motion  of  Felix.  Those 
in  favor  of  its  adoption  will  signify  it." 

Three  hands  appeared,  the  motion  was  carried, 
and  the  chairman  informed  Scott  and  Morris  that 
they  were  chosen  captain  and  mate.  Scott  was  out- 
voted, and  he  made  no  further  objection.  Of  the 
five  seamen  on  board  he  appointed  Pitts  cook  and 
steward,  in  which  capacity  he  had  served  on  board 
of  the  Maud.  The  starboard  is  the  captain's  watch ; 
though  the  second  mate,  when  there  is  one,  takes  his 
place  for  duty,  and  the  port  is  the  mate's  watch. 


THE   BORNEO   HUNTERS   AND   EXPLORERS         7 

"I  select  Clingman  for  the  first  of  iny  watch," 
continued  Scott.  "  Your  choice  next,  Morris." 

"Wales,'7  said  the  mate. 

"Lane  for  the  starboard,"  added  Scott. 

"  Hobson's  choice,"  laughed  Morris,  as  he  took 
the  last  man.  "  Clinch  for  the  port ;  the  last,  but 
by  no  means  the  least." 

"  I  fancy  the  watches  will  have  an  easy  time  of 
it ;  for  I  suppose  we  shall  not  do  much  running  up 
and  down  these  rivers,  and  through  dark  forests,  in 
the  night,"  suggested  Louis. 

"If  we  lie  up  in  the  night,  I  shall  divide  them 
both  into  quarter-watches,  and  have  one  man  on 
duty  all  the  time ;  for  we  may  be  boarded  by  a  huge 
crocodile  or  a  boa-constrictor  if  we  are  not  on  the 
lookout.  But  Achang  is  a  pilot  for  these  rivers. 
Isn't  that  so,  Captain  Bakir?" 

"  I  have  been  up  and  down  all  the  rivers  in  this 
part  of  the  island,  though  I  was  not  shipped  as  a 
pilot  then,"  replied  Achang,  who  had  been  the  cap- 
tain of  a  dhow,  and  on  board  the  ship  he  had  been 
called  by  his  first  name  or  the  other  with  the  title. 

"  All  right ;  we  shall  use  you  for  pilot  or  inter- 
preter as  occasion  may  require ;  and  I  suppose  you 
can  tell  us  all  we  want  to  know  about  the  country 
and  the  people,"  added  the  captain. 

Clinch,  one  of  the  ablest  seamen  on  board,  was 
steering  the  launch,  and  Scott  kept  the  run  of  the 
courses;  but  as  long  as  the  craft  had  three  feet  of 
water  under  her,  she  was  all  right.  The  conversation 


8  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

took  place  in  the  cabin,  as  the  explorers  called  the 
after  part  of  the  steamer,  though  no  such  apartment 
had  been  built  there. 

A  frame  constructed  of  brass  rods,  properly 
braced,  extended  the  entire  length  of  the  launch. 
A  stanchion  at  the  bow  and  another  at  the  stern, 
with  five  on  each  side  set  in  the  rail,  supported  a  rod 
the  whole  distance  around  the  craft.  Another  ex- 
tended from  the  bow  to  the  stern  stanchion,  directly 
over  the  keel,  about  six  inches  higher  than  those  at 
the  sides.  Ten  rods  led  from  the  central  down  to 
the  side  rods,  like  the  rafters  of  a  house. 

Over  the  whole,  of  this  structure  above  was  ex- 
tended a  single  piece  of  painted  canvas,  serving  as  a 
roof,  and  keeping  out  both  sun  and  rain.  It  was 
laced  very  taut  to  the  rods,  and  had  slope  enough  to 
make  the  water  run  off.  On  the  sides  were  curtains, 
which  could  be  hauled  down  tight.  The  launch  had 
been  used  by  the  rajah  on  the  Ganges,  and  when 
closed  in  the  interior  was  like  "a  bug  in  a  rug." 

Thus  closed  in,  the  standing-room  was  called  the 
cabin.  It  was  surrounded  by  wide  cushioned  seats, 
which  made  very  good  beds  at  night.  Between  these 
divans  was  a  table  where  the  meals  of  the  explorers 
were  to  be  served.  Under  the  seats  were  many 
lockers  for  all  sorts  of  articles,  the  bedding,  and  the 
arms  and  ammunition. 

Just  forward  of  the  cabin  were  the  engine  and 
boiler,  with  bunkers  on  each  side  for  the  coal.  In 
the  middle  of  the  craft  was  abundant  space.  The 


THE   BORNEO   HUNTERS   AND   EXPLORERS         9 

forward  part  of  the  boat  was  provided  with  cush- 
ioned divans,  where  passengers  could  sit  by  day  or 
sleep  at  night;  and  this  space  was  appropriated  to 
the  sailors.  In  the  centre  of  it  was  the  wheel. 
Next  to  it  was  the  galley,  with  a  stove  large  enough 
to  cook  for  a  dozen  persons,  and  all  needed  utensils. 

The  ship's  company  had  looked  the  craft  over 
with  great  interest,  and  all  of  them  were  well 
pleased  with  the  arrangements.  The  launch  had 
been  put  into  the  water  and  fitted  up  for  use  the 
day  before.  The  party  from  both  ships  had  visited 
her,  and  almost  wished  they  were  to  go  to  the  inte- 
rior of  the  country  in  her. 

The  Blanchita  continued  on  her  course  up  the 
river.  Pitts  was  at  work  in  the  galley ;  and  as  soon 
as  the  launch  was  made  fast  off  the  "go-down,"  or 
business  building  of  the  town,  dinner  was  served  to 
the  seamen,  and  later  to  the  denizens  of  the  cabin. 
The  afternoon  was  spent  in  examining  the  place, 
and  in  obtaining  such  supplies  as  were  needed ;  for 
the  boat  was  to  sail  on  her  voyage  up  the  river  early 
the  next  morning. 

With  the  assistance  of  Achang,  a  small  sampan,  a 
kind  of  skiff,  was  purchased;  for  the  Bornean  de- 
clared that  it  would  be  needed  in  the  hunting  excur- 
sions of  the  party,  for  much  of  the  country  was 
flooded  with  water,  a  foot  or  two  in  depth. 


10  FOUJJ   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER   II 

A   VOYAGE    UP    THE   SARAWAK   RIVER 

THE  young  hunters  slept  on  board  of  the  Blan- 
chita,  and  they  were  delighted  with  their  accommo- 
dations. Sarawak,  or  Kuching,  the  native  name  of 
the  town,  is  only  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
north  of  the  equator,  and  must  therefore  be  a  very 
warm  region,  though  away  from  the  low  land  near 
the  sea-coast  it  is  fairly  healthy.  The  party  slept 
with  the  curtains  raised,  which  left  them  practically 
in  the  open  air. 

Achang  had  given  them  a  hint  on  board  of  the 
ship  that  mosquitoes  were  abundant  in  some  localities 
in  Borneo.  The  Guardian-Mother  was  provided  with 
the  material,  and  the  ladies  had  made  a  dozen  mos- 
quito bars  for  the  explorers.  They  were  canopies, 
terminating  in  a  point  at  the  top,  where  they  were 
suspended  to  the  cross  rods  on  which  the  canvas  roof 
was  supported.  The  netting  was  tucked  in  under  the 
cushions  of  the  divan,  and  the  sleepers  were  perfectly 
protected. 

Captain  Scott  had  carried  out  his  plan  in  regard 
to  the  watches.  The  cook  was  exempted  from  all 
duty  in  working  the  little  steamer ;  but  each  of  the 
other  seamen  was  required  to  keep  a  half-watch  of 


A  VOYAGE   UP   THE   SARAWAK   RIVER          11 

two  hours  during  the  first  night  on  board.  Clinch 
was  on  watch  at  four  in  the  morning.  He  called  the 
engineer  at  this  hour,  and  Felipe  proceeded  at  once 
to  get  up  steam.  It  was  still  dark,  for  the  sun  rises 
and  sets  at  six  o'clock  on  the  equator. 

As  soon  as  there  was  a  movement  on  board,  all 
hands  turned  out  forward.  There  were  no  decks  to 
wash  down;  and,  if  there  had  been,  the  water  was 
hardly  fit,  in  the  judgment  of  the  mate,  for  this  pur- 
pose, for  it  was  murky,  and  looked  as  though  it  was 
muddy ;  but  it  was  not  so  bad  as  it  appeared,  for  the 
dark  color  was  caused  by  vegetable  matter  from  the 
jungles  and  forest,  and  not  from  the  mud,  which 
remained  at  the  bottom  of  the  stream. 

"  The  top  uv  the  marnin'  to  ye's ! "  shouted  Felix, 
as  he  leaped  from  his  bed  about  five  o'clock,  —  for  all 
hands  had  turned  in  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  eve- 
ning, as  the  mosquitoes,  attracted  by  the  lanterns, 
began  to  be  very  troublesome,  —  and  the  Milesian 
could  sleep  no  longer. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,  Flix?"  demanded 
the  captain. 

"  Sure,  if  ye's  mane  to  git  under  way  afore  night, 
it's  toime  to  turn  out,"  replied  Felix.  "Don't  ye's 
hear  the  schtaym  sizzlin'  in  the  froy'n  pan  ?  " 

"But  it  isn't  light  yet,"  protested  Scott. 

"Bekase  the  lanthern  in  the  cab'n  bloinds  your 
two  oyes,  and  makes  the  darkness  shoine  broighter 
nor  the  loight,"  said  Felix,  as  he  looked  at  his 
watch.  "Sure,  it's  tin  minutes  afther  foive  in  the 


12  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

marnin'.  These  beds  are  altogidther  too  foine, 
Captain." 

"  How's  that,  Flix  ?  "  asked  Scott,  as  he  opened  the 
netting  and  leaped  out  of  bed. 

"  They're  too  comfor-ta-ble,  bad  'cess  to  'em,  and 
a  b'y  cud  slape  till  sundown  in  'em  till  the  broke  o' 
noight." 

"  Dry  up,  Flix,  or  else  speak  English,"  called  Louis, 
as  he  left  his  bed.  "  There  is  no  end  of  'paddies' 
along  this  river,  and  I'm  sure  they  cannot  understand 
your  lingo." 

"  Is  it  paddies  in  this  haythen  oisland  ?  "  demanded 
Felix,  suspending  the  operation  of  dressing  himself, 
and  staring  at  his  fellow  deck-hand.  "I  don't  be- 
lay ve  a  wurrud  of  ut !  " 

"  Are  there  no  paddies  up  this  river,  Achang  ?  " 
said  Louis,  appealing  to  the  Bornean. 

"Plenty  of  paddies  on  all  the  streams  about  here," 
replied  the  native. 

"  And  they  can't  oondershtand  Kilkenny  Greek  ! 
They're  moighty  quare  paddies,  thin." 

"  They  are ;  and  I  am  very  sure  they  won't  answer 
you  when  you  speak  to  them  with  that  brogue," 
added  Louis. 

"We  will  let  that  discussion  rest  till  we  come  to 
the  paddies,"  interposed  the  captain,  as  he  completed 
his  toilet,  and  left  the  cabin. 

By  this  time  all  the  party  had  left  their  beds  and 
dressed  themselves ;  for  their  toilet  was  not  at  all 
elaborate,  consisting  mainly  of  a  woollen  shirt,  a  pair 


A    VOYAGE   UP  THE   SARAWAK   RIVER         13 

of  trousers,  and  a  pair  of  heavy  shoes,  without  socks. 
Felipe  had  steam  enough  on  to  move  the  boat;  and 
the  seamen  had  wiped  the  moisture  from  all  the 
wood  and  brass  work,  arid  had  put  everything  in 
good  order. 

"  Are  you  a  pilot  for  this  river,  Achang  ?  "  asked 
Scott,  as  the  party  came  together  in  the  waist,  the 
space  forward  of  the  engine. 

"  I  am ;  but  there  is  not  much  piloting  to  be  done, 
for  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  keep  in  the  middle  of  the 
stream/7  replied  the  Bornean.  "  I  went  up  and  down 
all  the  rivers  of  Sarawak  in  a  sampan  with  an  Eng- 
lish gentleman  who  was  crocodiles,  monkeys,  mias, 
snakes,  and  birds  picking  up." 

"  Wrong ! "  exclaimed  Morris.  "  You  know  better 
than  that,  Achang." 

The  native  repeated  the  reply,  putting  the  verb 
where  it  ought  to  be. 

"He  was  a  naturalist,"  added  Louis. 

"  Yes ;  that  was  what  they  called  him  in  the 
town." 

"I  think  we  all  know  the  animals  of  which  you 
speak,  Achang,  except  one,"  said  Louis.  "I  never 
heard  of  a  mias." 

"  That  is  what  Borneo  people  call  the  orang- 
outang," replied  the  native. 

"Orang  means  a  man,  and  outang  a  jungle,  and 
the  whole  of  it  is  a  jungle  man,"  Louis  explained, 
for  the  benefit  of  his  companions ;  for  he  was  better 
read  in  natural  history  than  any  of  them,  as  he  had 


14  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

read  all  the  books  on  that  subject  in  the  library  of 
the  ship.  "  In  Professor  Hornaday's  book,  l  Two 
Years  in  the  Jungle/  which  was  exceedingly  inter- 
esting to  me,  he  calls  this  animal  the  '  orang-utan,' 
which  is  only  another  way  of  spelling  the  second 
word." 

"  Excuse  me,  Louis,  but  I  think  we  will  get  under 
way,  and  hear  your  explanations  at  another  time," 
interposed  Captain  Scott. 

"  I  have  finished  all  I  had  to  say." 

"  Take  the  wheel,  Achang,"  continued  the  captain. 

The  sampan  was  sent  ashore  to  cast  off  the  fasts. 
The  river  at  the  town  is  over  four  hundred  feet 
wide,  and  deep  enough  in  almost  any  part  for  the 
Blanchita.  As  soon  as  the  lines  were  hauled  in,  the 
captain  rang  one  bell,  and  Felipe  started  the  engine. 
The  helmsman  headed  the  boat  for  the  middle  of  the 
stream,  and  the  captain  rang  the  speed-bell.  When 
hurried,  the  Blanchita  was  good  for  ten  knots  an 
hour,  but  her  ordinary  speed  was  eight. 

On  the  side  of  the  river  opposite  Kuching,  or  Sara- 
wak, was  the  kampon  of  the  Malays  and  other  na- 
tives ;  and  the  term  means  a  division  or  district  of 
a  town.  Many  of  the  natives  of  this  village  had 
visited  the  Blanchita,  —  some  for  trade,  some  for  em- 
ployment, and  some  from  mere  curiosity.  None  of 
them  were  allowed  to  go  on  board  of  the  launch ;  for, 
while  the  Dyaks  are  remarkably  honest  people,  the 
Malays  and  Chinese  will  steal  without  any  very 
heavy  temptation. 


A    VOYAGE   UP   THE   SARAWAK   KIVEK         15 

Achang  headed  the  boat  up  the  river.  For  five 
miles  the  banks  were  low,  with  no  signs  of  cultiva- 
tion, and  bordered  with  mangroves.  At  this  point 
the  captain  called  Lane  to  the  wheel,  with  orders  to 
keep  in  the  middle  of  the  river.  The  "  Big  Four  " 
had  taken  possession  of  the  bow  divans,  the  better 
to  see  the  shores.  They  were  more  elevated,  which 
simply  means  higher  above  the  water. 

"  When  shall  we  come  across  the  paddies,  Achang  ?  " 
asked  Felix ;  "  for  I  am  very  anxious  to  meet  them, 
and  maybe  we  shall  have  a  Kilkenny  fight  with 
them/' 

"No,  you  won't,  for  you  speak  English,"  replied 
Louis. 

"  The  paddies  are  here  on  both  sides  of  the  river," 
added  Achang. 

"  I  don't  see  a  man  of  any  sort,  not  even  a  Hotten- 
tot, and  I  am  sure  there  is  not  a  Paddy  in  sight." 

"  Your  education  has  been  neglected,  Flix,  and  you 
did  not  read  all  the  books  in  the  ship's  library,"  said 
Louis.  "  I  only  told  you  the  paddies  would  not  an- 
swer you  if  you  spoke  to  them  with  a  brogue.  You 
can  try  them  now  if  you  wish." 

"  But  I  don't  see  a  single  Paddy  to  try  it  on." 

"  Here  is  one  on  your  left." 

"  I  don't  see  anything  but  a  field  of  rice." 

"  That's  a  paddy  in  this  island." 

"  A  field  of  rice  ! " 

"  Achang  will  tell  you  that  is  what  they  call  them 
in  Borneo." 


16  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"  Bad  luck  to  such  Paddies  as  they  are  !  But  it 
looks  as  though  there  might  be  some  Paddies  here, 
for  the  houses  are  very  neat  and  nice,  just  as  you  see 
in  old  Ireland." 

"  Certainly  they  are  ;  but  I  never  saw  any  such  in 
Ireland,"  added  Louis.  "  You  remember  the  old 
woman  on  the  road  from  Killarney  to  the  lakes  who 
told  us  she  lived  in  the  Irish  castle,  to  which  she 
pointed ;  and  it  looked  like  a  pig-sty." 

"  Of  course  it  didn't  have  the  bananas  and  the 
cocoanut-palms  around  it." 

"  I  admit  that  we  saw  many  fine  places  in  Ireland, 
and  very  likely  your  mother  lived  in  one  of  them. 
But,  Achang,  is  there  any  game  in  the  woods  we  see 
beyond  the  paddies  ?  " 

"  Sometimes  there  is  plenty  of  it ;  at  others  there 
is  scarcely  any.  You  can  get  squirrels  here  and 
some  birds." 

"  Any  orang-outangs  ?  " 

"  We  found  none  when  we  came  up  the  river,  for 
this  is  not  the  best  place  for  them.  If  we  run  up 
the  Sadong  and  Samujan  Rivers,  you  will  find 
some,"  replied  the  Bornean.  "  I  don't  think  it  will 
pay  to  go  very  far  up  the  Sarawak,  if  it  is  game  you 
want;  but  you  can  see  the  country.  There  is  quite 
a  village  on  the  right." 

The  party  were  very  much  interested  in  examin- 
ing the  houses  they  saw  on  the  borders  of  the 
stream.  Like  those  they  had  seen  in  Java  and  in 
Sumatra,  they  were  all  set  up  on  stilts.  A  Malay  or 


A  VOYAGE  UP  THE  SARAWAK   RIVER         17 

Dyak  will  not  build  his  home  on  dry  land,  as  they 
noticed  in  coming  up  the  lower  part  of  the  river, 
though  there  was  plenty  of  elevated  ground  near. 
The  dwellings  were  all  built  on  the  soft  mud. 

The  village  ten  miles  up-stream  was  constructed  on 
the  same  plan.  The  houses  were  placed  just  out  of 
the  reach  of  the  water  when  it  was  higher  than  usual. 
The  material  was  something  like  bamboo,  as  in  In- 
dia, with  roofs  of  kadjang  leaves,  which  abound  in 
the  low  lands.  In  front  of  every  one  of  them  was  a 
flat  boat  —  sampan ;  and  one  was  seen  which  was 
large  enough  to  have  a  roof  of  the  same  material  as 
the  house.  The  boats  were  made  fast  to  a  pole  set  in 
the  mud. 

"  There  is  a  bear  on  the  shore ! "  shouted  Morris, 
with  no  little  excitement  in  his  manner,  as  he  pointed 
to  the  woods  on  the  shore  opposite  the  houses,  to 
which  the  attention  of  all  the  rest  of  the  party  had 
been  directed. 

At  the  same  time  he  seized  his  repeating  rifle,  and 
all  the  others  followed  his  example.  The  animal 
was  fully  three  feet  high,  and  at  a  second  glance  it 
did  not  look  much  like  a  bear.  Whatever  it  was,  it 
took  to  its  heels  when  the  sound  of  the  steamer's 
screw  reached  its  ear.  But  Morris  fired  before  the 
boat  started,  and  the  others  did  the  same. 

"That  is  not  a  bear,  Mr.  Morris,"  interposed 
Achang,  laughing  as  he  spoke. 

"  What  is  it,  then  ?  "  demanded  Morris. 

"A  pig." 


18  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"  A  pig  three  feet  high ! "  exclaimed  the  hunters 
with  one  voice. 

"  A  wild  pig/7  added  the  Bornean. 

"  Is  he  good  for  anything  ?  "  inquired  Scott. 

"  He  is  good  to  eat  if  you  like  pork." 

"He  dropped  in  the  bushes  when  we  fired.  Can't 
we  get  him  ?  "  asked  Morris. 

Under  the  direction  of  the  captain  the  steamer 
was  run  up  to  the  shore ;  and  the  bank  in  this  place 
was  high  enough  to  enable  the  party  to  land  without 
using  the  sampan.  All  hands,  including  the  seamen, 
rushed  in  the  direction  of  the  spot  where  the  pig 
had  been  seen.  The  game  was  readily  found.  The 
animal  was  something  like  a  Kentucky  hog,  often 
called  a  "racer,"  because  he  is  so  tall  and  lank. 
He  was  a  long-legged  specimen ;  and  Achang  said 
that  was  because  they  hunted  through  swamps  and 
shallow  water  in  search  of  food,  and  much  use  had 
made  their  legs  long.  He  added  that  they  were  a 
nuisance  because  they  rooted  up  the  rice,  and  farm- 
ers had  to  fence  their  fields. 

He  was  carried  on  board  by  the  sailors,  and  Pitts 
cut  out  some  of  the  nicer  parts  of  the  pig.  They 
had  roast  pork  for  dinner,  but  it  was  not  so  good  as 
civilized  hogs  produce. 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  BORNEO  AND  ITS  PEOPLE   19 


CHAPTER   III 

SOMETHING    ABOUT    BORNEO    AND    ITS    PEOPLE 

"  I  DON'T  think  we  know  much  of  anything  about 
Borneo/7  said  Scott,  as  the  Blanchita  continued  on 
her  course  up  the  Sarawak,  after  the  dinner  of  roast 
pork. 

"  We  all  heard  the  lecture  of  Professor  Giroud  on 
board  the  ship,"  replied  Louis.  / 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  it  over  again,  now  that  we 
are  on  the  ground/'  added  the  captain. 

"  Sure,  we're  not  on  the  ground,  but  on  the 
wather,"  suggested  Felix. 

As  the  reader  did  not  hear  the  lecture,  or  see  it 
in  print,  it  becomps  necessary  to  repeat  it  for  the 
benefit  of  "whom  it  may  concern."  The  professor, 
after  being  duly  presented  to  his  audience  in  Con- 
ference Hall,  proceeded  as  follows  :  — 

"  Australia  is  undoubtedly  the  largest  island  in 
the  world,  and  some  geographers  class  it  with  the 
continents ;  but  Chambers  makes  Borneo  the  third 
in  size,  while  most  authorities  rate  it  as  the  second, 
making  Papua,  or  New  Guinea,  the  second  in  extent. 
Lippincott  says  Papua  disputes  with  Borneo  the 
claim  to  the  second  place  among  the  great  islands  of 
the  world;  and  I  do  not  propose  to  settle  the  ques- 


20  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

tion.  Chambers  gives  the  area  of  Borneo  at  284,000 
square  miles,  the  population  in  the  neighborhood  of 
200,000,  and  the  dimensions  as  800  by  700  miles. 

"It  has  a  coast-line  of  about  3,000  miles,  nearly 
the  whole  of  which  is  low  and  marshy  land.  A 
large  portion  of  the  island  is  mountainous,  as  you 
may  see  by  looking  at  the  map  before  you  ; "  and 
the  professor  indicated  the  several  ranges  with  the 
pointer.  "  One  chain  extends  nearly  the  whole 
length  of  the  island,  dividing  in  the  middle  of  it 
into  two  branches,  both  of  which  almost  reach  the 
sea  on  the  south.  Near  the  centre  of  the  island 
are  two  cross  ranges,  one  extending  to  the  east,  and 
the  other  to  the  south-west.  It  would  be  useless  to 
mention  the  Malay  names  of  these  ranges,  for  you 
could  not  remember  them  over  night.  The  general 
idea  I  have  given  you  is  quite  enough  to  retain. 

"  The  interior  of  Borneo  is  but  little  known ;  and 
when  Mr.  Gaskette  makes  another  map  of  the  island 
twenty  or  thirty  years  hence,  it  will  probably  differ 
considerably  from  the  one  before  you.  In  the  ex- 
treme north  is  the  peak  of  Kini  Balu,  the  height  of 
which  is  set  down  at  13,698  feet,  with  an  interroga- 
tion point  after  it.  Other  mountains  are  estimated 
to  be  from  4,000  to  8,000  feet  high.  There  are  no 
active  volcanoes. 

"  In  the  low  lands  on  the  coast,  it  is  hot,  damp,  and 
unhealthy  for  those  who  are  not  acclimated ;  but  in 
the  high  lands  among  the  mountains,  the  temperature 
is  moderate,  from  81°  to  91°  at  noon,  and  it  is  some- 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  BOKNEO  AND  ITS  PEOPLE      21 

times  worse  than  that  in  New  York.  From  Novem- 
ber to  May,  which  is  the  rainy  season,  violent  storms 
of  wind  with  thunder-showers  prevail  on  the  west 
coast.  In  hot  weather  the  sea-breezes  extend  a  con- 
siderable distance  inland.  Vegetation  is  remarkably 
luxuriant,  as  our  young  hunters  will  find  in  their 
explorations.  The  forests  produce  all  the  woods  of 
the  Indian  Archipelago,  of  which  you  know  the 
names  by  this  time.  Brunei,  on  the  north-west 
coast,  produces  the  best  camphor  in  Asia,  which  is 
about  the  same  as  saying  in  the  world." 

"  What  is  camphor,  Professor  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Bel- 
grave.  "  I  have  used  it  all  my  life,  but  I  have  not 
the  least  idea  what  it  is." 

"  Camphor  is  an  oil  found  in  certain  plants,  mostly 
from  the  camphor  laurel.  This  oil  is  separated  from 
the  plant,  and  then  undergoes  the  process  of  refining. 
It  is  mixed  with  water,  and  then  boiled  in  a  sort  of 
retort.  It  makes1  steam,  which  is  allowed  to  escape 
through  a  small  aperture,  which  is  then  closed,  and 
the  camphor  becomes  solid  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
vessel.  This  is  the  article  which  is  sent  to  market. 

"  All  the  spices  and  fruits  of  the  Torrid  Zone  are 
produced  in  Borneo,  with  cotton  and  sugar-cane  in 
certain  parts.  The  animals  of  the  island  are  about 
the  same  as  in  other  parts  of  the  Archipelago.  The 
monkey  tribe  is  the  most  abundant,  including  the 
simia,  the  gibbon,  the  orang-outang,  found  in  no 
other  island,  except  very  rarely  in  Sumatra,  where 
our  hunters  did  not  find  even  one ;  tapirs  "  — 


22  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"What  are  they  ?  "   asked  Uncle  Moses. 

"  They  are  a  sort  of  cross  between  an  elephant  and 
a  hog.  They  are  found  all  over  South  American 
tropical  regions  and  in  this  part  of  Asia.  The  ani- 
mal is  more  like  a  hog  than  like  an  elephant,  though 
it  has  the  same  kind  of  a  skin  as  the  latter.  It  is 
about  the  size  of  the  average  donkey.  It  has  a  snout 
which  is  prehensile,  like  the  trunk  of  an  elephant, 
but  on  a  very  small  scale. 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?  "   asked  Mrs.  Blossom. 

"  Capable  of  taking  hold  of  anything,  as  the  ele- 
phant does  with  his  proboscis.  The  tapir  is  one  of 
the  gentler  animals,  and  may  be  easily  tamed  ;  though 
it  will  fight  and  bite  hard  when  attacked,  or  harried 
by  dogs.  They  take  to  the  water  readily,  though  the 
American  swims,  while  the  Asiatic  only  walk  on  the 
bottom.  One  book  I  consulted  calls  the  tapir  a  kind 
of  tiger,  to  which  he  bears  hardly  any  resemblance. 

"The  other  animals  are  small  Malay  bears,  wild 
swine,  horned  cattle,  and  puny  deer.  The  elephant 
and  rhinoceros  are  found,  few  in  number,  in  the 
north.  The  birds  are  the  eagle,  vulture,  argus- 
pheasant,  —  a  singular  and  beautiful  bird,  —  pea- 
cocks, flamingoes,  and  swifts." 

"  What  in  the  world  are  swifts  ?  "  inquired  Mrs. 
Woolridge. 

"  They  are  a  kind  of  swallow,  of  which  you  may 
have  seen  some  as  we  came  down  from  Rangoon. 
They  make  the  edible  birds'-nests  which  are  so  great 
a  delicacy  among  the  Chinese  when  made  into  soup. 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  BORNEO  AND  ITS  PEOPLE      23 

The  rivers,  lakes,  and  swamps  swarm  with  crocodiles, 
the  real  man-eaters.  Leeches  are  a  nuisance  when 
you  bathe  in  the  rivers  and  ponds,  and  various  kinds 
of  snakes  abound.  There  are  plenty  of  fish  in  the 
sea,  lakes,  and  rivers.  Diamonds,  gold,  coal,  copper, 
are  mined  in  the  island. 

"All  of  New  England  and  the  Middle  States,  with 
Maryland,  could  be  set  down  in  Borneo,  still  leaving 
a  considerable  border  of  swamp  and  jungle  all  around 
them.  The  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland  could  be  slapped  down  upon  it  like  a  flap- 
jack, and  there  would  still  be  more  than  space  for 
another  United  Kingdom,  without  covering  up  all  the 
mud  of  Borneo.  We  do  not  see  how  big  it  is  when 
we  look  on  the  map. 

"The  larger  portion  of  the  island  is  included  in 
the  Dutch  possessions.  Banjermassin,  of  which 
something  was  said  as  we  passed  the  mouth  of  the 
Barito  Biver,  on  \yhich  it  is  located,  contains  30,000 
inhabitants,  and  is  the  most  important  in  the  island. 
Borneo  proper  is  in  the  north-west,  and  is  under  the 
government  of  the  Sultan  of  Brunei.  He  lost  nearly 
one-half  of  his  territory,  taken  by  the  North  Borneo 
Company,  and  that  in  the  west,  which  is  now  Sara- 
wak, of  which  I  shall  have  something  more  to  say 
later.  The  island  of  Labuan  lies  six  miles  west  of 
the  northern  portion  of  Brunei.  It  was  ceded  to 
the  English  by  the  sultan,  and  is  principally  valu- 
able as  a  coaling-station,  though  it  has  a  considerable 
trade. 


24  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"  Sabah  is  the  country  of  the  North  Borneo  Com- 
pany. An  American  obtained  the  right  to  this 
territory  in  1865,  and  transferred  it  to  the  present 
company.  It  has  an  area  somewhat  larger  than  the 
State  of  Maine.  No  doubt  they  will  develop  and 
improve  the  country. 

"Sarawak  has  a  territory  nearly  as  large  as  that 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  larger  than  the 
State  of  Ohio.  Its  history  is  involved  in  the  life 
of  Sir  James  Brooke,  who  was  originally  created  the 
rajah,  or  governor  of  the  country,  by  the  Sultan  of 
Brunei',  and  retained  the  title  till  his  death  in  1868. 
He  was  born  in  Benares  in  1803,  and  educated  at 
Norwich,  England.  In  1819  he  entered  the  East 
Indian  army,  and  was  severely  wounded  in  the  Bur- 
mese war.  He  returned  to  England  ;  and  his  fur- 
lough lapsed  before  he  could  rejoin  his  regiment, 
and  with  it  his  appointment.  He  left  the  service. 
He  next  conceived  a  plan  for  putting  down  piracy 
in  the  Indian  Archipelago,  and  of  civilizing  the  sav- 
age inhabitants  of  these  islands,  a  grand  and  noble 
scheme  to  be  carried  out  by  a  single  individual  on 
his  own  responsibility. 

"  He  bought  a  small  vessel,  and  made  a  voyage 
to  China,  probably  with  the  intention  of  improving 
his  finances  for  the  work  he  had  in  view.  In  1835 
he  inherited  $150,000  at  the  death  of  his  father. 
After  a  cruise  in  the  Mediterranean,  he  sailed  in  a 
schooner-yacht  from  London  for  Sarawak,  where  he 
arrived  in  1839.  The  uncle  of  the  sultan  was  en- 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  BOKNEO  AND  ITS  PEOPLE      25 

gaged  in  a  war  with  some  tribes  of  rebels,  and 
Brooke  rendered  him  important  assistance.  He 
returned  to  Kuching  with  the  title  of  rajah,  his 
predecessor,  a  native,  having  been  compelled  to 
resign. 

"  The  new  governor  immediately  went  to  work 
very  vigorously  to  establish  a  better  government, 
introducing  free  trade,  and  framing  a  new  code  of 
laws.  At  this  time  the  atrocious  custom  of  head- 
hunting prevailed  in  the  island.  Enemies  killed  in 
battle  were  decapitated  simply  for  the  sake  of  the 
head,  and  the  Dyak  who  obtained  the  greatest 
number  of  them  was  esteemed  the  most  valiant 
warrior. 

"A  Dyak  girl  would  not  accept  the  addresses  of 
a  young  man  who  had  not  obtained  a  head,  in  the 
earlier  time ;  and  murders  were  often  committed  for 
the  sole  purpose  of  obtaining  the  head  of  the  victim, 
either  to  conciliate  some  dusky  maiden,  or  as  a 
trophy  for  the  head-house,  of  which  there  is  one 
in  every  village.  The  heads  were  '  cooked/  as  they 
called  it,  though  the  operation  was  merely  drying 
and  cleaning  the  skull.  Rajah  Brooke  made  the 
penalty  of  this  kind  of  murder  death,  without  regard 
to  the  customs  and  antecedents  of  the  natives;  and 
he  soon  abolished  head-hunting  in  his  dominion. 

"  The  sultan,  either  directly  or  by  '  winking  at  it/ 
encouraged  piracy ;  and  the  crime  was  as  common  as 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Malay  states  fifty  years  ago. 
Sir  James  Brooke  resolutely  attacked  the  pirates, 


26  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

and  with  the  means  at  his  command  soon  vanquished 
and  drove  them  from  the  sea  and  the  land.  The 
Dyaks,  in  spite  of  their  head-hunting  propensities, 
were  rather  a  simple  people ;  while  the  Malays  of 
the  island  were  cunning,  dishonest,  treacherous,  and 
cruel.  The  simple  Dyaks  were  no  match  for  them, 
and  were  cheated  and  abused  in  every  possible  way. 
There  was  no  such  thing  as  justice  in  the  land.  The 
new  rajah  corrected  all  these  abuses. 

"  Having  established  his  government  on  the  basis 
of  right  and  justice  to  all,  Brooke  went  to  England 
in  1847.  He  was  invited  to  Windsor  by  the  Queen, 
and  created  a  K.  C.  B.  (Knight  Commander  of  the 
Bath),  a  distinguished  honor  in  Great  Britain.  The 
next  year  he  was  made  governor  of  Labuan.  He 
was  charged  in  the  House  of  Commons  with  receiv- 
ing head-money  for  pirates  killed;  but  the  charge 
was  disproved. 

"  Brooke  continued  to  hold  his  position  as  Rajah  of 
Sarawak  while  at  Labuan ;  but  in  1857  he  was  super- 
seded at  the  latter,  and  returned  to  his  government. 
The  Chinese,  of  whom  there  are  a  great  many  in 
Borneo,  became  incensed  against  him  because  he  pre- 
vented the  smuggling  of  opium  into  his  territory.  A 
large  body  of  them  attacked  his  house  in  the  night, 
and  destroyed  a  great  amount  of  his  property. 

"But  the  rajah  was  not  a  man  to  submit  quietly 
to  such  an  outrage.  He  immediately  collected  a 
force  of  Dyaks  and  Malays,  and  attacked  the  Celes- 
tials. He  razed  a  fort  they  had  constructed,  and 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  BOKNEO  AND  ITS  PEOPLE      27 

thoroughly  defeated  them  in  several  successive  bat- 
tles. He  was  very  prompt  and  decided  in  action, 
and  to  see  an  abuse  was  to  remedy  it  without  un- 
necessary delay.  He  established  and  maintained  a 
model  government,  and  the  country  prospered  greatly 
under  his  mild  but  decisive  rule. 

"  He  found  a  town  with  1,000  inhabitants,  and  left 
it  with  25,000.  He  died  in  1868,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  nephew,  Sir  C.  T.  Brooke,  who  extended  his 
territory,  and  ten  years  ago  placed  it  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  United  Kingdom.  This  is  the  history 
of  a  noble  man  and  a  model  colony." 

"  But  what  are  Dyaks,  Professor  ?  "  inquired  Mrs. 
Belgrave. 

"They  are  natives  of  Borneo,  though  all  the  peo- 
ple are  not  known  by  this  name.  They  are  divided 
into  Hill  Dyaks  and  Sea  Dyaks.  At  the  present 
time  they  are  a  high-toned  class  of  savages ;  for  they 
do  not  steal  or  rob,  and  they  have  many  social  vir- 
tues which  might  be  copied  by  the  people  of  enlight- 
ened nations.  Head-hunting  and  piracy  are  known 
among  them  no  more.  They  are  the  farmers  and 
producers  of  the  island.  There  is  much  that  is  very 
interesting  about  them.  They  build  peculiar  houses, 
some  of  them  occupied  by  a  dozen  or  more  families, 
though  they  always  live  in  peace,  and  do  not  quarrel 
with  their  neighbors.  The  young  women  select  their 
own  husbands,  and  a  head  is  no  longer  necessary  to 
open  the  way  to  an  engagement. 

"If  any  of  the  party  wish  to  learn  more  of  the 


28  FOUR  YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

Dyaks,  their  manners  and  customs,  present  and  past, 
you  will  find  a  work  in  two  volumes,  by  the  Eev. 
J.  G.  Wood,  entitled,  'The  Uncivilized  Races  of 
Men ; '  and  you  will  find  that  the  author  often 
quotes  from  Kajah  Brooke." 


A   SPECULATION   IN   CROCODILES  29 


CHAPTER   IV 

A   SPECULATION    IN    CROCODILES 

THE  Blanchita  continued  on  her  course  up  the 
river  with  Clingman  at  the  wheel.  There  was  no 
table  in  the  fore  cabin ;  and  the  dinner  of  the  six 
men,  including  the  engineer,  was  served  astern  after 
the  "  Big  Four "  had  taken  the  meal.  Louis  at- 
tended to  the  engine  while  Felipe  was  at  his  meals 
and  occasionally  at  other  times.  A  table  is  not  a 
necessity  for  the  crew  of  a  ship,  and  one  is  not  used 
on  board  a  merchant  vessel ;  but  Louis  insisted  that 
all  hands  should  fare  equally  well  on  board  of  the 
little  steamer. 

The  dinner  was ,  disposed  of,  and  Wales  was  at  the 
wheel.  The  men  had  nothing  to  do,  and  a  couple  of 
them  had  assisted  Pitts  in  washing  the  dishes  and 
putting  the  after  cabin  in  order.  It  was  an  idle 
time,  and  the  "  Big  Four "  were  anxious  to  have 
something  more  exciting  than  merely  sailing  along 
the  river,  the  novelty  of  which  had  worn  off;  and 
they  had  not  long  to  wait  for  it. 

"  A  crocodile  ahead,  Captain,  on  the  port  bow, 
sir !  "  exclaimed  Wales,  the  wheelman,  whose  duty 
required  him  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  any  ob- 
structions in  the  stream. 


30  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

All  of  the  party  had  their  weapons  within  reach, 
including  the  three  seamen  who  were  disengaged ; 
but  the  latter  were  not  expected  to  use  the  rifles 
till  they  were  ordered  to  do  so  by  the  captain  or 
any  one  of  the  hunters.  The  occupants  of  the  fore 
cabin,  the  principal  personages  on  board,  had  the 
exclusive  use  of  the  forward  part  of  the  boat,  though 
the  hands  were  at  liberty  to  use  the  seats  when  they 
were  not  required  by  any  of  the  "Big  Four."  No 
order  to  this  effect  had  been  given;  but  the  men, 
under  the  influence  of  the  discipline  on  board  of 
the  ship,  had  involuntarily  adopted  the  system. 

"Slow  her  down,  Wales,"  said  Scott,  after  he  had 
observed  the  situation  of  the  saurian. 

The  wheelman  rang  the  jingle-bell,  and  the  boat 
soon  came  down  to  half-speed.  The  five  hunters, 
including  Achang,  had  their  rifles  ready  for  use, 
though  they  still  retained  their  seats.  The  reptile 
was  not  asleep ;  and  he  appeared  to  have  some 
notions  of  his  own,  for  he  was  not  disposed  to  wait 
for  the  coming  of  the  boat.  He  settled  down  in  the 
dark  water  so  that  he  could  not  be  seen,  but  the 
surface  was  disturbed  by  his  movements. 

"Port  the  helm,  Wales,"  said  the  captain  quietly. 
"  He  is  going  across  the  river." 

Presently  he  came  to  the  surface  again,  and  was 
swimming  towards  the  opposite  shore.  He  kept  his 
head  and  a  small  portion  of  his  back  next  to  it  above 
the  surface  of  the  water,  as  the  young  hunters  had 
seen  in  Sumatra  before. 


A  SPECULATION   IN   CROCODILES  31 

"Full  speed;  give  her  a  spurt,  Wales,"  said  the 
captain. 

The  wheelman  rang  the  speed-bell,  and  then  spoke 
through  the  tube  to  the  engineer.  The  boat  sud- 
denly darted  ahead  under  this  instruction,  and  was 
soon  abreast  of  the  reptile,  who  was  not  at  first 
disposed  to  change  his  tactics.  He  evidently  real- 
ized that  he  was  pursued,  and  it  seemed  to  make 
him  angry. 

"  The  rascal  has  put  his  helm  to  port,"  said  Wales. 

"  Look  out  there,  in  the  waist ! "  shouted  Scott  to 
the  seamen,  a  couple  of  whom  were  seated  on  the 
rail,  with  their  legs  dangling  over  the  side  of  the 
boat.  "Never  sit  in  that  way,  men,  unless  you 
want  to  be  carried  to  the  hospital  with  a  leg  bitten 
off." 

"Will  they  bite,  Captain  ?  "  asked  Clinch. 

"Bite?     They   are   regular   man-eaters   on  these 

rivers." 

i 

"I  used  to  go  in  swimming  with  the  alligators  on 
the  Alabama  River ;  but  they  all  kept  their  distance," 
added  the  seaman. 

The  two  men  drew  in  their  legs  and  moved  inboard. 
Alligators,  which  are  generally  considered  harmless 
in  the  rivers  of  the  Southern  States,  will  bite  at  any- 
thing hanging  in  the  water.  As  Wales  had  suggested, 
the  crocodile  had  changed  his  course,  and  was  now 
headed  directly  for  the  Blanchita.  He  seemed  to 
have  concluded  that  there  was  no  safety  for  him  in 
flight,  and  he  had  decided  to  fight. 


32  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"Your  first  shot,  Louis/'  said  Scott,  who  had  not 
even  taken  up  his  rifle,  as  if  he  thought  there  would 
be  no  chance  for  him  after  the  millionaire  had  fired. 

Louis  waited  a  minute  or  more  till  he  could  dis- 
tinctly see  the  eye  of  the  crocodile,  and  then  he  fired. 
As  has  so  often  been  said  before,  he  had  been  thor- 
oughly trained  in  a  shooting-gallery,  and  was  a  dead 
shot,  as  he  had  often  proved  during  the  voyage. 
The  bullet  had  evidently  gone  to  his  brain,  for  the 
reptile  floundered  about  for  an  instant,  and  then 
moved  no  more.  As  Felix  put  it,  he  was  "very 
dead,"  though  the  word  hardly  admits  of  an  inten- 
sifier. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  him  now  ?  "  asked 
the  Milesian. 

"  I  don't  think  we  want  anything  more  of  him ; 
but,  like  a  poison  snake,  he  is  a  nuisance  that  ought 
to  be  abated,"  replied  the  captain.  "I  dare  say  the 
rajah  will  be  much  obliged  to  us  for  making  the 
number  of  them  even  one  less." 

"  How  long  is  he  ?  "  Achang  inquired,  as  he  returned 
his  rifle  to  its  resting-place. 

"  About  ten  feet,"  replied  Louis. 

"  More  than  that,"  the  captain  thought.  "  I  should 
say  twelve  feet." 

"  Then  he  is  worth  eighteen  shillings  to  you,"  added 
the  native. 

"  What  is  he  good  for,  Achang  ?  "  asked  Morris. 

"He  is  good  for  nothing,"  replied  the  Bornean. 
"  The  crocodile  here  eats  men  and  women.  Some  are 


A   SPECULATION   IN   CROCODILES  33 

killed  every  year,  and  the  government  pays  one  and 
sixpence  apiece  for  the  heads." 

"  That  looks  like  a  war  of  extermination  upon 
them,"  said  Morris. 

"  I  don't  know  what  that  is ;  but  they  want  to  kill 
them  all  off,"  replied  Achang,  who  had  improved  his 
language  so  that  his  tutor  seldom  had  to  correct  it. 

"That  is  the  same  thing.  They  pay  by  the  foot 
for  crocodiles  here." 

"The  bigger  they  are,  the  more  dangerous,"  sug- 
gested Louis.  "Let  us  haul  him  alongside,  and  see 
how  long  he  is." 

The  boat  had  stopped  her  screw  before  Louis 
fired ;  and  the  captain  directed  Wales  to  lay  her 
alongside  the  saurian,  which  was  done  in  a  few 
minutes.  Kopes  were  passed  under  his  head  and 
tail;  and  with  a  couple  of  purchases  made  fast  to 
the  horizontal  rods  over  the  rail,  close  to  the  stan- 
chions, the  carcass ,  was  hoisted  partly  out  of  the 
water.  The  measure  was  taken  with  a  line  first,  to 
which  Lane,  who  was  a  carpenter's  assistant,  applied 
his  rule,  which  gave  twelve  feet  and  two  inches  as 
the  length  of  the  crocodile. 

"  That  makes  him  worth  eighteen  shillings,"  said 
Achang. 

"About  four  dollars  and  a  half,"  added  Morris. 
"  We  could  make  something  hunting  crocodiles.  If 
we  could  kill  ten  of  them  like  that  fellow  it  would 
give  us  forty-five  dollars." 

Louis  and  Scott  laughed  heartily  at  this  calcula- 


34  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLOKEKS 

tion,  and  thought  the  idea  was  derogatory  to  the 
character  of  true  sport,  though  they  did  not  object 
to  turning  their  victims  of  this  kind  into  money. 

"Must  we  carry  the  carcass  of  this  beast  down 
to  Kuching  in  order  to  get  the  reward,  Achang  ? " 
asked  Morris. 

"  The  head  will  be  enough ;  and  they  can  tell  how 
long  he  is  by  the  size  of  it." 

"  How  shall  we  saw  the  head  off  ?  Can  you  do  it, 
Lane  ?  " 

"I  can  do  that,"  interposed  the  Bornean,  as  he 
went  to  a  bundle  of  implements  he  had  procured  in 
the  town  and  from  the  natives. 

He  drew  from  it  a  very  heavy  sword,  from  which 
he  took  off  the  covering  of  dry  leaves,  and  applied 
his  thumb  to  the  edge  of  the  weapon.  Then  he 
picked  out  a  straw  from  some  packing,  and  dropped 
it  off  in  pieces,  as  one  tries  his  razor  on  a  hair.  It 
appeared  to  be  as  sharp  as  the  shaving-tool,  and  he 
was  satisfied.  All  hands  watched  his  movements 
with  deep  interest.  He  secured  a  position  with  one 
foot  on  the  side  of  the  boat,  and  the  other  on  the 
back  of  the  crocodile.  With  two  or  three  blows  of 
his  sword,  he  severed  the  head  from  the  body,  and 
a  seaman  secured  it  with  a  boathook. 

All  hands  applauded  when  the  deed  was  done,  as 
the  Bornean  washed  his  keen  blade.  The  operation 
excited  the  admiration  of  all  the  lookers-on,  it  was 
so  quickly  and  skilfully  done.  Louis  wished  to  ex- 
amine the  weapon,  and  it  was  handed  to  him.  It 


A   SPECULATION  IN  CROCODILES  35 

was  heavy  enough  to  require  a  strong  arm  to  handle 
it;  and  it  was  sharp  enough  for  a  giant's  razor,  if 
giants  ever  shave,  for  most  of  them  are  pictured 
with  full  beards. 

"I  suppose  this  is  a  native's  sword,"  said  Louis, 
as  he  passed  it  to  the  captain. 

"Dyak  parong  latok ;  parong  same  thing,  not  so 
long,"  Achang  explained. 

"I  suppose  that  is  what  the  Dyaks  used  when 
they  went  head-hunting,"  said  Felix. 

"No  head-hunting  now;  used  to  use  it,  the  Hill 
Dyaks.  Used  in  battle  too ;  split  head  open  with  it, 
or  cut  head  off." 

"  What  other  weapons  did  the  fighting  men  use  ?  " 
asked  Louis. 

"  They  carried  a  shield,  and  used  a  spear  with 
the  parong  latok  ;  no  other  weapons.  Two  kinds  of 
Dyaks,  the  Sea  and  the  Hill." 

While  the  native  was  talking,  the  seamen,  by  order 
of  the  captain,  had  hoisted  the  head  of  the  saurian 
into  the  sampan  towing  astern,  placing  it  on  a  piece 
of  tarpaulin.  The  carcass  was  cast  loose,  and  prob- 
ably was  soon  devoured  by  others  of  its  own  kind. 

"We  might  find  some  eggs  in  the  crocodile,"  said 
Achang,  as  the  body  floated  past  the  boat. 

"We  don't  want  the  eggs,"  replied  the  captain, 
turning  up  his  nose. 

"  Good  to  eat,  Captain.  My  naturalist  used  to 
eat  them.  Very  nice,  like  turtles'  eggs,  which  Eng- 
lishmen always  put  in  the  soup." 


36  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  None  in  my  soup  ! "  exclaimed  Scott,  with  a  wry 
face,  to  express  his  disgust. 

"I  suppose  they  would  be  all  right  if  we  only  got 
used  to  them,"  suggested  Louis. 

"  As  the  man's  horse  did  when  he  fed  him  on  shav- 
ings," sneered  Scott. 

"  I  did  not  take  very  kindly  to  turtles'  eggs  when 
we  were  in  the  West  Indies ;  but  I  got  used  to  them, 
and  then  liked  them,"  added  Louis.  "In  Africa  the 
natives  eat  boa-constrictors,  and  think  they  are  a 
choice  morsel.  Some  of  our  Indians  eat  clay,  and 
I  suppose  they  like  it." 

"  Something  up  in  the  trees  yonder,  Captain," 
said  Wales,  as  the  boat  approached  some  higher 
ground,  which  was  not  overflown  with  water,  as 
most  of  the  shore  below  had  been. 

"  Monkeys,"  added  Achang,  not  at  all  excited. 

"I  don't  think  I  care  to  shoot  monkeys  unless  it 
is  for  the  purpose  of  examining  them,"  said  Louis. 
"They  are  too  small  game,  and  they  are  harmless 
creatures." 

"  Strange  monkeys  in  here,"  continued  Achang. 
"  Not  these,"  he  added  when  he  had  obtained  a  sight 
of  one  of  them.  "  These  no  good." 

All  eyes  were  directed  to  the  tree;  and  at  least  a 
dozen  common  monkeys  were  there,  such  as  they 
had  seen  in  the  museums  at  home.  The  steamer 
continued  on  her  course,  and  a  couple  of  miles  far- 
ther on  the  forest  was  inundated.  Some  of  the  trees 
appeared  to  be  inhabited. 


A   SPECULATION  IN   CROCODILES  37 

"  Plenty  of  elephant  monkeys  in  here/7  said 
Achang. 

"  Elephant  monkeys  ! "  exclaimed  Louis.  "  I  never 
heard  of  any  such  animals.  Are  they  called  so  be- 
cause they  are  so  large  ?  " 

"  No,  sir/'  said  Achang  j  "  because  they  have  such 
long  noses." 

"  There  are  a  dozen  monkeys  in  that  tree,  and 
they  look  very  queer/'  said  Louis,  as  he  elevated 
his  double-barrelled  fowling-piece,  loaded  with  large 
shot,  and  fired. 

One  of  them  dropped,  and  another  when  he  dis- 
charged the  second  barrel.  The  boat  was  run  in  the 
direction  of  the  tree  till  it  grounded  in  the  mud. 
The  captain  proposed  to  go  for  them  in  the  sampan, 
when  Clingman  volunteered  to  wade  to  the  tree  for 
the  game,  and  soon  returned  with  the  two  victims  of 
the  millionaire's  unerring  aim.  They  were  placed  in 
the  waist,  and  ajl  were  curious  to  see  them.  The 
rest  of  the  tribe  scampered  away  over  the  tops  of  the 
trees,  crying,  "  honk,  honk,  kehonk  !  " 

"  They  are  proboscis  monkeys,  and  old  males  at 
that;  for  they  have  very  long  noses,  which  is  the 
reason  for  the  name,  and  why  Achang  calls  them 
elephant  monkeys,"  said  Louis,  as  he  turned  the 
creatures  over.  "  The  noses  of  these  two  reach 
down  below  the  chin.  They  stand  about  three  feet 
high,  but  are  rather  lank,  like  the  tall  pigs." 

While  the  party  were  examining  them,  the  captain 
gave  the  order  to  back  the  boat,  and  then  to  go 


38  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

ahead.  She  was  moored  for  the  night  soon  after. 
The  next  morning,  by  the  advice  of  Achang,  the 
Blanchita  was  headed  down  the  river,  for  the  native 
declared  that  they  would  find  no  different  game  on 
the  banks  of  the  Sarawak. 


A  HUNDRED  AND  EIGHT  FEET  OF  CROCODILE      39 


CHAPTER   V 

A    HUNDRED    AND    EIGHT    FEET    OF    CROCODILE 

THE  party  were  stirring  as  soon  as  it  was  daylight ; 
for  in  the  tropics  the  early  hours  are  the  pleasantest, 
and  they  had  fallen  into  the  habit  of  early  rising  in 
India.  The  trees  were  alive  with  monkeys  of  several 
kinds,  though  the  proboscis  tribe  seemed  to  be  in  the 
majority.  Felix  came  out  of  the  cabin  with  his  gun 
in  his  hand,  and  began  to  regard  the  denizens  of 
the  tree-tops  with  interest. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do,  Flix  ?  "  asked  Louis, 
who  was  sitting  on  the  rail,  busily  cutting  out  a  notch 
in  the  end  of  a  long  piece  of  board. 

"  Don't  you  se^  there  is  plenty  of  game  here,  my 
darling  ? "  demanded  Felix,  pointing  up  into  the 
trees. 

"  Game  !  "  exclaimed  Louis  contemptuously. 
"  Monkeys  ! " 

"  Didn't  you  shoot  a  couple  of  them  yesterday 
afternoon,  Louis  ?  " 

"  I  did  ;  but  I  wanted  them  in  order  to  study  the 
creature.  Now  every  fellow  knows  what  a  proboscis 
monkey  is,  as  he  did  not  before  except  by  name.  I 
got  my  books  out,  and  read  him  up  with  the  animal 
before  me.  I  am  glad  I  did ;  for  the  picture  of  him 


40  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

I  had  seen  was  nothing  like  him  in  his  nasal  appen- 
dage, which  gives  him  his  name.7' 

«  What  is  the  reason  of  that  ?  " 

"  The  portrait  was  taken  from  a  young  one,  before 
his  nose  had  attained  its  full  growth.  But  I  don't 
believe  in  shooting  monkeys  for  the  fun  of  it.  Our 
party  are  not  inclined  to  eat  them." 

"  I'd  as  soon  eat  a  cat  as  a  monkey,"  added  Felix. 

"Then,  don't  shoot  those  long-nosed  fellows,  for 
we  have  all  the  specimens  of  them  we  need,"  said 
Louis. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  them,  my  darling  ? 
You  can't  keep  them  much  longer,  and  you  will  have 
to  throw  them  overboard,  for  they  won't  smell  sweet 
by  to-morrow." 

"  Achang  learned  something  about  taxidermy  from 
the  naturalist  he  travelled  with,  and  he  has  promised 
to  skin  and  mount  one  of  them  for  me." 

"  But  what's  that  you  are  making,  Louis  ?  "  asked 
Felix,  who  had  been  trying  to  take  the  measure  of 
the  implement  the  young  Croesus  was  fashioning. 

Its  use  was  not  at  all  evident.  A  triangular  piece 
had  been  sawed  out  of  the  end  of  a  strip  of  board  four 
inches  wide,  and  the  rest  of  it  had  been  cut  down  and 
rounded  off,  and  the  thing  looked  more  like  a  pitch- 
fork than  anything  else. 

«  Is  it  to  pitch  hay  with  ?  "  persisted  Felix. 

"  No,  it  is  not ;  when  you  see  me  use  it,  you  will 
know  what  it  is  for.  You  must  wait  till  that  time 
before  you  know,"  replied  Louis,  who  appeared  to 


WHAT  HAVE  YOU  GOT  THERE,  Mis.  BELGRAVK?" 

Paye  41. 


A  HUNDRED  AND  EIGHT  FEET  OF  CROCODILE      41 

have  finished  the  implement  just  as  the  other  brought 
his  gun  to  his  shoulder." 

"  That's  the  handsomest  schnake  I  iver  saw  since 
me  modther,  long  life  to  her,  left  ould  Ireland  before 
I  was  bahrn." 

"  Don't  shoot  him,  Flix  ! "  protested  Louis  vigor- 
ously. "  Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  Jist  forninst  the  bow  of  the  boat.  Sure,  Oi'm 
the  schnake-killer  of  the  party,  and  he's  moi  game." 

"  I  don't  want  him  killed  yet,"  replied  Louis,  as  he 
moved  forward  from  the  waist  with  the  forked  stick 
in  his  hand.  "  He  is  handsome,  as  you  say,  Flix." 

Creeping  very  cautiously  till  he  could  see  over  the 
bow,  he  discovered  the  serpent,  which  was  nearly  six 
feet  long,  working  slowly  down  a  dead  log  towards 
the  water.  Springing  to  his  feet  on  the  bow,  he 
struck  down  with  his  weapon,  directing  the  fork  at 
the  neck  of  the  reptile.  The  outside  of  the  log  was 
nothing  but  punk,  or  the  operation  would  have  been 
a  failure.  As  it  was,  the  two  points  of  the  implement 
sunk  into  the  wood,  and  the  snake  was  pinned  in  the 
opening  at  the  end  of  the  stick. 

"  What  have  you  got  there,  Mr.  Belgrave  ?  "  asked 
Achang,  hurrying  to  the  side  of  the  operator. 

u  A  snake ;  do  you  know  him  ?  "  demanded  Louis, 
as  the  reptile  struggled  to  escape. 

"  I  saw  one  like  it  years  ago ;  "  and  he  gave  a  long 
Dyak  name  to  it  which  the  others  did  not  understand. 
"Wait  a  minute  or  two,  and  I  will  bring  him  on 
board  for  you." 


42  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  I  don't  know  that  we  want  him  on  board,"  added 
Louis. 

"He  is  not  poison,  and  he  won't  hurt  you,"  said 
the  Bornean,  as  he  made  a  slip-noose  at  the  end  of  a 
piece  of  cord. 

Hanging  over  the  bow,  he  passed  the  noose  over 
the  head  of  the  snake,  and  hauled  it  taut,  and  then 
made  the  end  he  held  fast  to  the  boat.  Louis  lifted 
his  implement  from  the  neck  of  the  snake,  and  he 
squirmed  and  wriggled  as  though  ho  "  meant  busi- 
ness." Achang  leaped  to  the  shore,  and  seizing  the 
serpent  by  the  tail,  tossed  him  into  the  boat.  He 
struck  on  one  of  the  cushions,  and  the  cord  prevented 
him  from  going  any  farther. 

Scott  and  Morris  had  just  reached  the  fore  cabin  at 
this  moment,  and  they  started  back  as  though  they 
had  been  bitten  by  the  snake.  His  head,  tail,  and 
belly  were  bright  red,  with  white  stripes  upon  a  dark 
ground  along  his  back  and  sides.  No  one  but  Achang 
had  ever  seen  such  a  serpent,  even  in  a  museum.  His 
snakeship  was  disposed  to  make  himself  comfortable 
on  the  cushion,  and  the  Bornean  loosed  the  cord 
around  his  neck. 

"  I  saw  a  small  snake,  not  more  than  two  feet  long, 
swimming  near  the  shore  of  Lake  Cobbosseecontee,  in 
Maine,  that  had  nearly  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow 
in  his  skin,"  said  Morris.  "I  tried  to  knock  him 
over  with  my  fishing-rod,  and  catch  him;  but  I 
failed.  I  told  the  people  where  we  boarded  about 
him,  but  no  one  had  ever  seen  a  snake  like  him." 


A  HUNDRED  AND  EIGHT  FEET  OF  CROCODILE      43 

"  There  are  plenty  of  such  snakes  in  South  Amer- 
ica, some  that  are  not  poisonous,  which  the  native 
women  tame  and  wear  as  necklaces,"  added  Louis. 

"  Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  him  ? " 
asked  Captain  Scott.  "I  think  you  had  better  kill 
him,  and  throw  him  into  the  river,  pretty  as  he  is. 
He  isn't  a  very  desirable  fellow  to  have  as  a  compan- 
ion on  board." 

"  What  is  the  use  of  killing  him  ?  He  would  only 
be  food  for  the  crocodiles,"  protested  Louis. 

"  Do  what  you  like  with  him,  Louis,"  added  the 
captain. 

"  I  certainly  will  not  have  him  killed.  If  Achang 
never  saw  but  one  of  the  kind,  there  cannot  be  a 
great  many  of  them  in  this  part  of  the  island.  Put 
him  ashore,  Achang/7  said  the  humane  young  gen- 
tleman. 

The  Bornean  complied  with  this  request ;  and  the 
handsome  snake  skurried  off  in  the  woods,  none  the 
worse  for  his  adventure.  But  the  others  were  not 
quite  satisfied  with  the  policy  of  the  young  million- 
aire. They  wanted  to  shoot  whatever  they  could 
see  in  the  nature  of  game,  including  monkeys,  and 
he  was  opposed  to  this  destructive  action.  Of  course 
they  could  kill  whatever  they  pleased,  but  the  moral 
influence  of  the  real  leader  prevailed  over  them. 

"  Steam  enough  ! "  shouted  Felipe  from  the  engine. 

"Take  the  wheel,  Clingman,  back  her  out  and  go 
ahead,"  said  the  captain ;  and  in  a  few  moments  they 
were  steaming  down  the  river. 


44  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"  I  suppose  you  haven't  any  tenderness  for  croco- 
diles, have  you,  Louis  ?  "  inquired  Scott,  with  a  smile. 

"  You  seem  to  believe  that  I  am  as  chicken-hearted 
as  a  girl ;  but  I  believe  in  killing  all  harmful  ani- 
mals, including  poisonous  snakes  ;  but  I  do  not  like 
to  see  these  innocent  monkeys  shot  down  for  the  fun 
of  it,"  replied  Louis.  "  You  can  kill  them  if  you 
choose,  but  I  will  not." 

"  The  rest  of  us  will  not,  if  you  are  opposed  to  it," 
added  Scott. 

"Crocodile  on  the  port  hand!"  exclaimed  Cling- 
man.  "  He  is  swimming  across  the  river,  about 
three  boats'  lengths  from  us." 

"  Stop  her  ! "  said  the  captain. 

"  I  shot  the  last  one,  and  I  will  not  fire  at  this 
one,"  added  Louis,  who  was  not  disposed  to  monopo- 
lize the  fun. 

"  All  right  j  then  I  will  be  number  two,  Morris 
three,  Flix  four,  and  Achang  five ;  and  if  you  are  all 
satisfied,  we  will  fire  in  this  order  hereafter,"  con- 
tinued Scott,  as  he  took  aim  at  the  saurian. 

He  missed  the  eye  of  the  reptile,  and  the  bullet 
from  the  rifle  glanced  off  and  dropped  into  the 
water. 

"How  many  shots  is  a  fellow  to  have  before  he 
loses  his  chance?"  asked  the  captain,  as  he  aimed 
again. 

"  I  suggest  three,"  said  Louis.  "  Those  in  favor  of 
three  say  ay." 

They  all  voted  "  ay,"  and  Scott  fired  twice  more. 


A  HUNDRED  AND  EIGHT  FEET  OF  CROCODILE      45 

"  Your  turn,  Morris ; "  and  he  appeared  to  be  very 
much  chagrined  at  his  ill  luck.  "  I  could  hardly  see 
the  eye  of  the  varmint." 

Morris  fired  his  three  shots  with  no  better  success. 
Felix  took  a  different  position  from  the  others,  pla- 
cing himself  on  the  stem.  He  fired,  and  the  saurian 
still  kept  on  his  course.  He  did  better  the  second 
time ;  and  the  reptile  floundered  for  a  moment,  and 
then  turned  over  dead.  The  boat  was  run  up  along- 
side, and  Achang  was  required  to  bring  out  his  pa- 
rong  latok,  with  which  he  decapitated  the  game  at  a 
single  blow  this  time ;  but  the  creature  was  only  nine 
feet  long. 

Pitts  called  the  cabin  party  to  breakfast  at  this 
time.  The  Blanchita  went  ahead  again,  and  the 
repeating  rifles  were  left  on  the  cushions.  At 
Louis's  suggestion  the  captain  gave  the  four  men  off 
duty  permission  to  use  the  arms  on  crocodiles,  but 
not  on  monkeys. 

Ham  and  eggs,  with  hot  biscuit  and  coffee,  was  the 
bill  of  fare ;  and  the  young  men  had  sharpened  their 
appetites  in  the  sports  of  the  morning.  Before  they 
were  half  done  they  heard  the  crack  of  a  rifle.  They 
listened  for  the  second  shot,  but  none  followed  it. 

"  Who  fired  that  shot,  Pitts  ?  "  asked  the  captain, 
as  the  steward  brought  in  another  plate  of  biscuit. 

"  Clinch,  sir,"  replied  the  man.  "  He  knocked  the 
crocodile  over  at  the  first  shot,  sir." 

"Then  he  is  a  better  shot  than  I  am,"  said  Scott, 
laughing. 


46  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"Or  any  of  the  rest  of  us  who  had  their  turns," 
added  Felix.  "  Louis  is  the  only  fellow  that  brings 
'em  down  the  first  time  trying." 

"  The  rest  of  you  would  have  done  better  if  the 
sun  had  not  reflected  on  the  water,  and  shaken  your 
aim,"  said  Louis. 

Before  the  meal  was  finished,  another  shot  was 
heard,  followed  by  two  more.  When  the  party  went 
forward  they  found  that  the  little  steamer  had  gone 
around  a  bend  so  that  the  forest  shaded  the  surface 
of  the  water.  Wales  had  fired  the  last  three  times 
at  a  crocodile  still  in  sight ;  but  he  declared  that  he 
could  not  hit  the  side  of  a  barn  twenty  feet  from  him, 
and  did  not  care  to  fire  again.  The  men  went  to 
breakfast,  and  the  cabin  party  picked  up  the  rifles. 
It  was  Achang's  turn ;  and  he  missed  twice,  but  killed 
the  game  at  the  third  shot. 

"  I  can  see  four  more  of  them.  We  seem  to  have 
come  to  a  nest  of  them,  and  the  family  are  out  for 
a  morning  airing,"  said  Louis,  as  he  picked  up  his 
rifle,  while  Felix  was  filling  the  other  chambers  with 
cartridges.  "  They  have  all  started  to  go  across  the 
river." 

"That  must  be  the  father  of  the  family  at  the 
head  of  the  procession,"  added  the  captain.  "  It  is 
your  turn  now,  Louis." 

"  Go  ahead  a  little,  Pitts,"  said  the  next  one  in 
turn ;  for  the  cook  had  taken  the  wheel  while  Cling- 
man  went  to  his  morning  meal.  "  I  can't  see  his  eye 
yet." 


A  HUNDRED  AND  EIGHT  FEET  OF  CROCODILE      47 

"  That  will  do ;  stop  her.  I  can  see  his  eye  now, 
and  there  is  no  reflection  on  the  water." 

As  soon  as  the  boat  lost  her  headway,  Louis  fired. 
The  saurian  leaped  nearly  out  of  the  water,  and  came 
down  wrong  side  up.  There  were  three  dead  rep- 
tiles lying  on  the  water.  It  was  the  captain's  next 
shot,  and  when  he  placed  the  yacht  in  a  position  to 
suit  him  he  fired.  The  crocodile  lifted  his  head  out 
of  the  water,  and  did  not  move  again. 

"  Bravo,  Captain  !  "  cried  Louis.  "  You  did  not 
have  a  fair  chance  last  time,  and  you  have  redeemed 
yourself." 

"  I  thought  I  could  shoot  better  than  before,  and 
now  I  feel  better.  But  there  are  two  more,  and  your 
turn,  Morris." 

He  killed  the  game  with  the  third  shot,  and  Felix 
finished  the  last  in  sight  with  the  second.  Achang 
had  brought  out  his  formidable  weapon,  and  the  six 
dead  reptiles  were  decapitated.  The  last  three  killed 
were  each  nine  feet  long,  while  the  one  Louis  had 
shot  was  fourteen.  The  heads  were  all  put  in  the 
sampan,  and  they  made  a  full  load  for  it.  The  Blan- 
chita  arrived  at  Kuching  early  in  the  afternoon,  and 
the  chief  of  police  measured  the  heads,  and  took  the 
figures  from  Felix.  He  made  one  hundred  and  eight 
feet  of  crocodile,  which  the  official  approved  as  cor- 
rect, and  paid  not  quite  forty  dollars  for  the  bounty. 


48  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE    VOYAGE   UP    THE    SADONG   TO    SIMUJAN 

THE  money  received  for  the  heads  of  the  crocodiles 
was  in  the  hands  of  Felix,  who  was  the  clerk  of  the 
captain  on  board  the  ship,  and  it  was  proper  to  make 
him  purser  of  the  Blanchita.  What  to  do  with  it 
was  the  next  question.  Louis's  advice  was  asked 
for,  and  he  promptly  suggested  that  it  should  be 
divided  into  ten  parts,  and  a  share  given  to  all  but 
himself ;  and  this  was  done.  He  refused  to  accept  a 
penny,  but  all  the  others  received  about  four  dollars 
apiece. 

The  money  was  all  in  silver,  as  it  is  all  over  India 
and  the  Archipelago  for  general  use.  The  engineer 
and  the  seamen  shared  with  the  four  hunters ;  for  the 
former  had  done  all  the  work  and  some  of  the  shoot- 
ing. The  steamer  was  made  fast  at  the  shore,  and 
all  hands  except  Pitts  landed  for  a  walk  through  the 
town.  Their  first  visit  was  to  a  fruit-store  kept  by 
a  Chinaman ;  and  most  of  the  shops  in  the  place  were 
in  the  hands  of  the  Celestials. 

Bananas  and  oranges  were  the  principal,  though 
there  were  also  nearly  all  the  tropical  fruits  in  sea- 
son. Many  of  the  party  purchased  useful  articles  in 
other  places,.  They  had  learned  in  Singapore  and 


VOYAGE  UP  THE  SADONG  TO   SIMUJAN       49 

Batavia  how  to  deal  with  Chinese  traders,  and  they 
seldom  gave  even  more  than  one-third  or  one-half  of 
what  was  demanded.  After  diligent  search  Achang 
found  a  certain  Dyak  tool  he  wanted,  —  a  sort  of  axe, 
which  Lane,  the  carpenter's  assistant,  ridiculed  with- 
out mercy. 

The  young  men  visited  the  English  Mission,  where 
they  were  kindly  received,  and  went  to  the  school. 
The  American  missionaries  are  also  active  in  Borneo, 
and  one  of  them  has  made  a  vocabulary  of  the  Dyak 
language. 

It  was  decided  to  start  down  the  river  the  next 
morning  on  the  way  to  the  Sadong  and  Simujan 
Rivers,  the  latter  being  a  branch  of  the  former.  In 
the  early  morning,  as  the  hands  were  casting  off  the 
fasts,  two  Malays  came  alongside  in  a  sampan,  and 
asked  to  be  towed  to  the  Sadong.  Achang  had  some 
talk  with  them,  and  made  the  request  of  the  captain 
for  them.  He  learned  that  they  were  engaged  in  the 
business  of  catching  crocodiles  for  the  reward. 

"  They  don't  shoot  crocodiles,  and  they  have  no 
rifles,"  added  Achang. 

"  How  do  they  get  them  then  ?  "  asked  Louis. 

"They  fish  for  them." 

"  What,  with  a  hook  and  line  ?  "  demanded  Captain 
Scott. 

"With  a  line,  but  have  no  fish-hook,"  replied  the 
Bornean.  "  You  must  see  them  catch  one." 

"  All  right,"  replied  the  captain ;  "  we  will  tow 
them  down  the  river." 


50  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

After  the  yacht  had  been  moving  about  an  hour, 
they  came  to  a  colony  of  saurians  apparently,  for 
several  of  them  were  in  sight  at  once.  Achang  di- 
rected the  reptile-hunters  to  catch  one  of  them,  and 
they  paddled  their  sampan  towards  a  large  one.  The 
Blanchita  kept  near  enough  to  enable  all  hands  to 
witness  the  operation,  which  the  Bornean  described 
to  them  as  the  Malays  made  their  preparations,  for 
they  had  all  their  fishing-gear  in  their  boat. 

The  line  they  used  was  a  rattan  about  forty  feet 
long.  At  the  "  business  end/'  as  Scott  called  it,  they 
attached  a  float  to  keep  it  on  the  top  of  the  water. 
The  steamer  just  crawled  along  on  the  river  in  order 
not  to  disturb  the  game,  though  the  reptiles  were 
accustomed  to  the  sight  of  vessels. 

"Now  you  see  that  stick  the  hunter  has  in  his 
hand,"  said  Achang,  though  each  of  them  had  one. 
"'Most  a  foot  long,  like  a  new  moon." 

"  Crescent-shaped,"  added  Louis. 

"  Called  an  alir  in  Malay.  Made  of  green  wood, 
very  tough,  pointed  at  the  ends;  they  fasten  the 
rattan  line  to  the  middle  of  the  stick." 

Some  tough  green  bark,  braided  together,  was  then 
wound  around  the  stick  so  that  the  game  could  not 
bite  it  in  two.  A  big  fish  for  bait  was  then  attached 
to  the  alir,  and  carefully  fastened  to  it  so  that  the 
reptile  could  not  tear  it  off. 

Thus  prepared,  the  apparatus  was  thrown  over- 
board, and  the  sampan  paddled  away  from  it  to  give 
the  game  an  opportunity  to  approach  it,  the  Malays 


VOYAGE   UP   THE   SADONG  TO   SIMT7JAN        51 

each  paying  out  his  forty  feet  of  line,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  boat.  The  spectators  watched  the  result 
with  great  interest.  As  the  sampan  receded  from 
the  saurians,  they  approached  the  bait.  Crocodiles 
and  alligators  do  not  nibble  at  their  prey,  but  bolt 
it  as  a  snake  does  a  frog. 

The  bait  nearest  to  the  observers  on  the  yacht  was 
soon  gobbled  up  by  the  hungry  crocodile,  who  ap- 
peared not  to  have  been  to  breakfast  that  morning; 
and  the  Malay  at  the  other  end  of  the  line  gave  a 
sharp  jerk  to  his  gear,  the  effect  of  which  was  to 
draw  the  pointed  crescent  "  athwart  ships,"  as  the 
sailors  would  say,  or  across  his  stomach ;  and  the 
harder  it  was  pulled  the  more  the  pointed  ends  would 
penetrate  the  interior  of  the  organ. 

The  first  Malay  had  hardly  hooked  his  game  before 
the  second  had  another  ready  to  haul  in.  Both  of 
the  saurians  struggled  and  lashed  the  dark  water  into 
a  foam ;  but  both  of  the  men  in  the  sampan  kept  the 
line  as  taut  as  they  could  with  all  their  strength ;  and 
this  is  the  rule  in  hauling  in  all  gamey  fish. 

"  Tell  them  we  will  go  ahead,  Achang,  and  all  they 
need  to  do  is  to  make  fast  their  rattans  to  the  sam- 
pan/' said  Captain  Scott,  when  he  had  taken  in  the 
situation. 

In  reply  to  the  message  the  Bornean  delivered  to 
them,  the  Malays  nodded  their  heads  vigorously,  and 
smiled  their  assent. 

"  Go  ahead,  down  the  river,  Clinch,"  added  the  cap- 
tain to  the  helmsman. 


52  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"  I  fancy  there  will  be  a  lively  kick-up  on  the  part 
of  the  game,"  said  Louis,  as  the  boat  came  up  to  her 
course. 

"  Not  much,"  added  Scott.  "  If  we  put  them 
through  the  water  at  the  rate  of  eight  knots  an 
hour,  the  crocs  will  not  feel  much  like  doing  any 
gambolling.  We  are  not  making  more  than  four 
knots  now." 

"  They  are  as  lively  now  as  a  parched  pea  in  a 
hot  skillet." 

"  I  will  ring  the  speed-bell  now,  and  see  how  that 
will  affect  them,"  replied  the  captain,  suiting  the 
action  to  the  word. 

The  Blanchita  darted  ahead  at  her  usual  speed. 
Clingman  began  to  overhaul  the  painter  of  the  sam- 
pan, for  it  did  not  look  strong  enough  for  the  present 
strain.  He  had  scarcely  got  hold  of  it  before  it 
snapped  in  the  middle,  and  relieved  the  strain  on 
the  crocodiles.  The  steamer  backed  at  the  order  of 
the  captain ;  and  a  strong  line  was  thrown  into  the 
sampan,  which  one  of  the  Malays  seized  and  made 
fast. 

When  the  strain  upon  them  was  thus  removed, 
the  saurians  made  violent  struggles  to  escape.  The 
yacht  then  went  ahead  again,  and  the  speed-bell  was 
rung  immediately.  The  pressure  on  the  game  was 
renewed,  and  they  ceased  to  struggle.  The  appa- 
ratus held  fast,  for  the  saurian  fishers  were  expe- 
rienced in  their  business,  and  had  done  their  work 
well. 


VOYAGE   UP   THE   SADONG   TO    SIMUJAN        53 

At  eight  o'clock  the  Blanchita  reached  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  The  crocodiles  were  not  dead,  but  their 
stomachs  must  have  been  in  a  terrible  condition.  To 
Louis  it  seemed  to  be  cruel  to  prolong  their  suffer- 
ings ;  and  he  wished  Achang  to  request  the  Malays 
to  kill  them,  and  Scott  agreed  with  him.  The  Bor- 
nean  said  they  could  not  kill  them  while  they  were 
towing  behind,  and  that,  if  the  lines  were  slacked, 
they  might  get  away. 

The  captain  took  the  matter  in  hand,  and  told 
Achang  what  he  intended  to  do,  which  he  commu- 
nicated to  the  reptile-hunters.  On  the  starboard 
hand  Scott  fixed  his  gaze  on  a  small  tongue  of  land 
extending  out  into  the  river.  Taking  the  wheel  him- 
self, he  run  her  close  to  the  land  some  distance  above 
the  point,  and  worked  the  sampan  and  its  tow  close 
to  the  shore.  The  tow-line  of  the  sampan  was  then 
lengthened  out  to  a  hundred  feet  or  more,  and  the 
yacht  went  ahead  again,  rounding  the  point,  so 
that  the  peninsula  lay  between  the  steamer  and 
her  tow. 

Then  she  went  ahead  again,  and  the  result  was 
that  she  pulled  the  sampan  upon  the  point ;  and  as 
she  was  flat-bottomed,  there  was  no  difficulty  in  do- 
ing so.  The  Blanchita  continued  on  her  course,  and 
the  two  crocodiles  were  landed  after  her.  One  of 
the  Malays  then  produced  a  parong  latok ;  and  even 
more  skilfully  than  Achang  had  done  the  job,  he  cut 
off  the  heads  of  both  reptiles.  They  were  out  of 
misery  then,  and  Louis  was  satisfied. 


54  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

The  yacht  was  then  run  up  to  the  point,  and  Lane 
was  sent  on  shore  to  measure  the  reptiles,  while  the 
fishermen  proceeded  to  recover  the  apparatus  from 
the  stomachs  of  the  defunct  reptiles.  The  larger 
crocodile  was  twelve  feet  and  four  inches  long,  and 
the  other  ten  feet  and  seven  inches.  The  voyage 
was  resumed  on  the  sea  to  the  mouth  of  the  Sadong ; 
and  in  three  hours  more  she  entered  the  stream, 
which  was  a  large  one,  averaging  half  a  mile  wide 
for  twenty  miles. 

"  Bujang ! "  called  Achang,  as  instructed  by  the 
captain.  "Do  you  want  to  go  any  farther?" 

The  head  man  replied  in  his  own  language  that 
they  wished  to  go  to  Simujan,  or  till  they  came  to 
plenty  of  game.  The  Bornean  said  Bujang  was  a 
great  hunter,  for  he  had  killed  fifty-three  crocodiles 
that  year.  The  yacht,  with  the  sampan  still  in  tow, 
started  up  the  river,  keeping  in  the  middle  of  it. 
Just  before  sunset  she  reached  the  junction  of  the 
Simujan  and  Sadong. 

On  one  side  of  the  branch  stream  there  was  a  con- 
siderable Malay  village,  backed  by  an  abundance  of 
cocoanut  palms;  and,  of  course,  the  houses  were 
built  on  stilts  close  to  the  water.  On  the  other 
side  was  the  Chinese  kampon,  or  quarter,  consisting 
largely  of  shops  and  trading-houses.  Louis  Belgrave 
had  been  presented  to  the  officials  at  Sarawak  as  the 
owner  of  the  Guardian-Mother,  and  that  established 
him  as  a  person  of  great  distinction. 

After  the  ship  departed   on  her  voyage  to  Siam, 


VOYAGE   UP   THE   SADONG   TO   SIMUJAN        55 
» 

many  attentions  were  bestowed  upon  him ;  and  when, 

after  the  return  of  the  yacht  from  up  the  Sarawak, 
they  learned  that  she  was  going  to  the  Simujan,  one 
of  the  officials  had  given  him  a  letter  of  introduction 
to  the  Chinese  half-cast  government  official,  who  was 
the  magnate  of  the  place.  Figuratively,  he  took  the 
"  Big  Four  "  in  his  arms,  and  there  was  nothing  he 
was  not  ready  to  do  for  them. 

He  conducted  them  to  the  government  house,  and 
insisted  that  they  should  live  there  during  their  stay 
at  Simujan.  It  had  been  erected  to  receive  such  offi- 
cials as  might  have  occasion  to  remain  there  at  any 
time.  It  was  well  built  and  comfortable,  and  each 
chamber  had  a  veranda  in  front  of  it.  It  was  set 
on  posts  six  feet  from  the  ground,  like  all  the  other 
dwellings  near  it.  It  was  the  police  station  of  the 
region ;  and  the  two  Malays  collected  eight  or  nine 
dollars  for  their  game,  which  they  did  not  offer  to 
share  with  the  crew  of  the  yacht  —  no  Malay  would 
do  such  a  thing. 

The  agent's  tender  of  the  rooms  to  the  party  was 
accepted,  for  the  members  wished  to  sleep  in  a  four- 
posted  bedstead  once  more  for  a  change.  The  chief 
Malay  of  the  place  called  upon  them,  and  treated 
them  very  handsomely.  The  Chinese  official  gave 
them  much  information  as  they  were  seated  on  a 
veranda  of  the  house. 

"  You  may  find  the  orang-outang  up  the  Simujan  ; 
but  I  don't  know  that  you  want  such  large  game," 
said  he. 


56  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

» 
""We  have  shot  tigers  in  India,  and  Mr.   McGa- 

vonty  has  shot  more  cobras  than  all  the  rest  of  us. 
He  has  a  talent  for  killing  snakes." 

"  Show  me  the  snakes,  and  I  will  finish  them/' 
added  Felix. 

"You  will  not  find  many  of  them  in  the  jungle. 
There  are  some  water  snakes  taken  occasionally, 
and  people  here  eat  them.  They  make  a  very  fine 
curry." 

"I  should  ask  to  be  excused  from  partaking  of 
that  dish,"  said  Scott. 

"  That  is  all  prejudice,"  said  the  agent.  "  Perhaps 
you  would  like  to  go  a-fishing  in  the  Sadong  and  its 
branches.  We  have  a  peculiar  way  of  taking  fish 
here.  We  use  the  tuba  plant,  which  the  Malays 
prepare  for  use.  It  is  a  climbing-plant,  the  root 
of  which  has  some  of  the  properties  of  opium.  It 
is  reduced  to  a  pulp,  mixed  with  water.  I  cannot 
fully  explain  the  process  of  preparation,  in  which 
the  Malays  are  very  skilful.  At  the  right  time  of 
tide,  the  fluid  is  thrown  into  the  stream.  The  effect 
is  to  stupefy  and  sometimes  kill  the  fish.  With  dip- 
nets  the  fish  are  picked  up,  though  some  of  them  are 
so  large  that  they  can  be  secured  only  with  a  kind 
of  barbed  spear." 

"I  don't  think  I  care  to  fish  in  that  way,"  said 
Louis,  with  some  disgust  in  his  expression.  "  It  is 
very  unsportsmanlike,  and  it  looks  to  me  to  be  a 
mean  way  to  do  it." 

"Just  what  some  Englishmen   who  were  here  a 


VOYAGE   UP  THE   SADONG  TO   SIMUJAN        57 

while  ago  said,  and  perhaps  you  are  right ;  but  it  is 
a  Malay  art,  and  not  English." 

The  party  slept  very  comfortably  on  bedsteads 
that  night,  but  they  were  up  before  the  sun  the 
next  morning. 


58  FOUR    YOUNG   EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER   VII 

A    SPIRITED    BATTLE    WITH    ORANG-OUTANGS 

THE  civilized  people  of  Simujan  were  not  stirring 
when  the  party  came  from  their  chambers.  Felipe 
had  steam  up  at  half-past  five,  for  the  captain  in- 
tended to  begin  the  ascent  of  the  river ;  but  he  did 
not  care  to  leave  without  bidding  adieu  to  the  kindly 
agent.  But  they  got  under  way  at  his  order,  and 
ran  up  the  river  for  a  morning  airing.  The  boat 
had  not  gone  more  than  a  mile  when  the  young 
men  discovered  a  sampan  containing  two  Malays 
paddling  with  all  their  might  for  the  shore. 

They  had  no  guns,  and  could  not  shoot  their  game, 
whatever  it  was ;  but  each  of  them  had  a  biliong. 
This  was  the  implement  Achang  had  bought  in  Sara- 
wak. It  looked  something  like  a  pickaxe  with  only 
one  arm,  the  end  of  which  was  fashioned  like  a  mor- 
tising chisel,  and  was  used  as  an  axe. 

The  edge  of  the  chisel  portion  was  parallel  to  the 
handle;  but  Achang  explained  that  the  Dyaks  had 
another  kind  of  biliong,  with  the  cutting  part  at 
right  angles  with  the  handle,  and  this  was  used  as 
an  adze.  While  Lane,  the  carpenter,  was  ridiculing 
the  tool,  the  Malays  on  shore  moved  to  a  tree  in 


A  SPIRITED  BATTLE  WITH  ORANG-OUTANGS      59 

sight  of  the  steamer,  which  had  stopped  her  screw 
close  to  the  sampan. 

"  They  are  going  to  cut  down  a  tree  with  the  bil- 
iongs,"  said  Achang.  "  Sometimes  do  that  to  get 
the  game." 

"  They  couldn't  cut  down  a  tree  a  foot  through 
with  those  things  in  a  week ! "  exclaimed  Lane. 

"  So  quick  as  you  could  cut  it  down,"  insisted  the 
Bornean  stoutly. 

"  Dry  up,  now,  and  let  us  see  the  Malays  work 
with  the  thing/'  interposed  the  captain. 

"  Lane,  you  shall  have  a  trial  with  a  Dyak  or  a 
Malay,  and  I  will  give  a  prize  of  three  dollars  to  the 
one  that  fells  the  tree  first,"  said  Louis. 

"  I  should  like  to  try  that  with  any  Dyak  or  Ma- 
lay," replied  Lane  good-naturedly;  and  he  was  a 
stout  Down-Easter,  who  had  been  a  logger  in  the 
woods  before  he  was  a  carpenter  or  a  seaman. 

"  There  are  two  animals  in  that  tree  where  they 
are  at  work,"  cried  Morris,  as  he  pointed  to  the  scene 
of  operations.  "  One  of  them  is  a  big  one,  and  the 
other  is  a  little  one/'  he  added,  when  he  obtained  a 
better  view  of  the  game  the  Malays  were  trying  to 
obtain.  "  What  are  they,  Achang  ?  " 

"  Mias  !  Mias  ! "  exclaimed  the  native,  as  a  move- 
ment of  the  boat  ahead  gave  him  a  full  view  of  the 
creatures.  "  One  is  a  big  one,  and  the  other  is  her 
baby." 

"  But  what  are  the  Malays  doing  now  ?  "  asked 
Louis. 


60  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  Make  a  stage  to  stand  on,"  replied  Achang. 

"  What  do  they  want  of  a  stage  ? "  demanded 
Lane  contemptuously. 

"  You  will  see  if  you  wait,"  added  the  captain. 

They  were  picking  up  poles  where  they  could  find 
them,  and  cutting  saplings,  which  they  dropped  with 
a  single  blow  of  the  biliong.  In  a  few  minutes  they 
had  constructed  a  rude  framework  on  crotched  sticks, 
driven  into  the  soft  ground,  with  a  platform  of  poles 
on  the  top.  On  this  one  of  the  two  men  mounted 
with  his  biliong,  with  which  he  began  his  work  with 
a  blow  at  the  tree  about  four  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  ground.  The  other  Malay  brought  from  the 
sampan  a  couple  of  spears,  a  parong  latok,  and  a 
bundle  of  ropes  and  rattans. 

"  Do  they  use  the  sumpitan  in  Borneo  now, 
Achang  ?  "  asked  Louis. 

"  Not  Dyaks,  Mr.  Belgrave ;  Kyans  use  it ;  shoot 
poison  arrows  ;  sure  death  ;  very  bad." 

The  sumpitan  is  a  kind  of  blow-gun,  like  the 
"  bean-blower "  formerly  used  by  American  boys, 
which  was  a  tin  pipe,  or  the  "  pea-shooter,"  an  Eng- 
lish plaything.  It  was  used,  it  is  said,  by  the  Dyaks 
in  former  times;  but  recent  travellers  do  not  men- 
tion it  as  used  by  them.  It  is  about  eight  feet 
long,  and  less  than  an  inch  in  diameter,  made  of 
very  hard  wood,  skilfully  and  accurately  bored,  and 
smoothed  inside. 

The  parong  latok,  already  described,  is  a  heavy 
sword.  It  has  a  head,  sometimes  carved  as  an  orna- 


A  SPIRITED  BATTLE  WITH  ORANG-OUTANGS      61 

ment,  so  that  it  cannot  slip  from  the  hand.  At 
about  one-third  of  its  length  from  this  head,  it  bends 
at  an  abrupt  angle  of  about  thirty-five  degrees,  and 
it  makes  a  very  ugly-looking  weapon. 

"  I  suppose  you  all  know  that  a  mias  is  an  orang- 
outang," said  Louis.  "  No  doubt  the  weapons  car- 
ried up  to  the  tree  are  to  be  used  in  killing  the  game 
when  the  tree  comes  down.  We  could  easily  bring 
down  both;  but  we  won't  fire  at  them,  for  I  think 
we  are  all  curious  to  see  how  the  Malays  will  manage 
the  affair.  The  chopper  has  already  made  a  big  cut 
in  the  tree,  and  I  doubt  if  Lane  could  have  done  the 
work  any  quicker." 

The  carpenter  did  not  say  anything,  but  no  doubt 
he  was  greatly  surprised  at  the  rapid  progress  the 
native  made  with  the  biliong.  He  had  cut  the  tree 
more  than  half-way  through  the  trunk ;  and  it  was 
evident  that  he  intended  it  should  fall  towards  the 
river,  for  the  second  Malay  was  clearing  away  the 
ground  on  that  side  so  that  they  might  have  a  fair 
field  for  the  fight  that  was  to  ensue.  The  chopper 
attacked  the  other  side  of  the  tree,  and  seemed  to 
deal  his  blows  with  even  more  vigor  than  before. 

The  old  orang  kept  up  a  constant  growling.  She 
had  a  nest  just  above  the  limb  where  she  sat,  which 
was  quite  green,  indicating  that  it  had  been  recently 
built.  It  was  composed  of  the  branches  of  the  tree 
small  enough  to  be  easily  broken  off  by  the  "jungle 
man."  They  were  simply  placed  in  a  heap  on  the 
limb,  with  no  particular  shaping  of  the  resting-place. 


62  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  She  makes  a  new  nest  when  the  branches  of  the 
old  one  get  dry ;  she  like  a  soft  bed,"  said  Achang. 
"  But  the  tree  will  come  down  now  ;  big  fight,  they 
kill  her." 

He  had  hardly  spoken  these  words  before  the  tree 
suddenly  toppled  over,  and  fell  upon  the  ground  with 
a  heavy  crash.  The  orangs  seemed  to  have  no  idea 
of  what  was  going  on  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  and 
they  were  pitched  out.  The  chopper  seized  one  of 
the  spears,  and  rushed  after  the  old  one.  The  tree 
prevented  the  party  on  board  the  yacht  from  seeing 
the  expected  battle ;  and  with  their  rifles  in  their 
hands,  the  "  Big  Four  "  sprang  ashore,  and  secured  a 
favorable  position.  The  crew  followed  them,  though 
the  engineer  remained  at  his  post. 

The  first  Malay,  who  had  done  the  chopping,  had 
confronted  the  orang,  and  they  stood  facing  each 
other.  Suddenly  the  animal  made  a  spring  towards 
her  enemy,  and  was  received  on  the  point  of  his 
spear.  The  orang  was  wounded,  but  this  only  in- 
creased her  wrath,  and  she  made  a  furious  onslaught 
upon  the  man ;  but  the  spear  was  too  much  for  her, 
and  she  was  wounded  again. 

The  orang  opened  her  mouth,  and  showed  a  terri- 
ble double  row  of  teeth  flanked  by  four  long  tusks. 
They  were  enough  to  intimidate  one  unaccustomed  to 
the  creature's  appearance.  She  made  repeated  at- 
tempts to  reach  her  enemy ;  but  the  spear,  very 
adroitly  handled,  foiled  her  every  time,  and  gave  her 
a  new  wound.  This  sparring,  as  it  were,  was  kept 


A  SPIRITED  BATTLE  WITH  ORANG-OUTANGS      68 

up  for  some  time,  and  the  Americans  wondered  that 
the  Malay  did  not  drive  his  weapon  to  the  heart  of 
the  infuriated  animal.  Doubtless  he  would  have 
done  so  if  he  could  ;  but  the  orang  had  hands  as  well 
as  feet,  and  she  grasped  the  spear  every  time  it  punc- 
tured her  skin,  and  seemed  to  prevent  it  from  inflict- 
ing a  fatal  wound. 

It  was  a  mystery  to  the  observers  how  the  Malay 
contrived  to  detach  his  weapon  from  the  grasp  of  the 
orang,  though  he  did  so  every  time.  But  at  last  the 
brute  seemed  to  change  her  tactics,  or  she  got  a  bet- 
ter hold  of  the  spear ;  for  she  suddenly  snapped  the 
weapon  into  two  pieces  as  though  it  had  been  a  pipe- 
stem.  Deprived  of  his  arm,  the  Malay  ran  a  few 
rods.  The  orang  is  very  clumsy  on  its  feet,  and 
she  could  not  catch  him.  The  man  only  went  a  few 
rods  to  the  place  where  the  parong  latok  had  been 
placed,  and  with  this  weapon  he  returned  to  the 
attack. 

The  skirmishing'  with  this  weapon  continued  for 
some  time  longer,  and  the  beast  was  wounded  every 
time  she  attempted  to  get  hold  of  her  opponent.  In 
the  meantime  the  other  Malay  had  not  been  idle. 
He  used  no  deadly  weapons,  but  substituted  for  them 
a  long  cord  he  had  brought  from  the  sampan.  He 
made  a  slip-noose  in  one  end  of  it,  and  was  trying  to 
catch  the  young  one.  It  might  have  run  away  if  it 
had  been  so  disposed,  but  it  seemed  to  be  determined 
to  stay  by  its  mother. 

"  He  wants  you,  or  needs  your  skill  with  the  lasso, 


64  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

Captain  Scott,"  said  Morris,  recalling  the  feats  with 
the  lasso  of  the  commander. 

"He  is  doing  very  well,  and  he  handles  the  line 
well,"  replied  Scott.  "  Now  he  has  him ! "  he  ex- 
claimed, as  the  Malay  passed  the  cord  over  the  head 
of  the  young  orang,  and  hauled  it  taut  around  his 
neck. 

With  the  line  he  dragged  the  orang  to  a  sapling 
near  the  fallen  tree,  and,  with  other  lines  he  had  left 
there,  tied  his  hands  and  feet  together,  and  fastened 
him  to  the  small  tree. 

He  had  hardly  secured  his  victim  before  a  yell 
from  the  first  hunter  startled  him,  and  he  ran  with 
his  lasso  and  a  spear  to  his  assistance.  The  old  one, 
badly  wounded  by  the  sharp  weapon  of  her  enemy, 
had  suddenly  dropped  upon  all  fours,  and  crawled  to 
the  man  ;  seizing  him  by  his  legs,  she  set  her  villanous 
teeth  into  the  calf  of  one  of  them.  It  looked  as 
though  the  human  was  to  be  the  victim  of  the  brute. 

The  Malay,  howling  with  the  sharp  pain,  slashed 
away  with  all  his  might  at  the  hind  quarters  of  the 
orang ;  but  she  did  not  relax  her  grip  on  his  leg.  His 
companion  arrived  at  the  scene  of  the  conflict.  He 
dropped  his  lasso  then,  and  began  to  use  his  parong 
latok.  After  he  saw  that  blows  with  the  weapon  ac- 
complished nothing,  he  plunged  the  blade  into  the 
body  of  the  brute  several  times  in  quick  succession. 
These  stabs  ended  the  battle.  The  orang  rolled  over, 
and  then  did  not  move  again. 

Both  of  the  human  combatants  then  walked  down 


A  SPIRITED  BATTLE  WITH  ORANG-OUTANGS      65 

to  the  Blanchita,  one  of  them  limping  badly.  They 
showed  their  wounds,  and  through  Achang  asked  to 
be  "  doctored."  Pitts  had  some  skill  as  a  leach,  and 
the  medicine-chest  was  in  his  care.  He  laid  out  the 
patient  with  the  wounded  leg,  washed  the  wound,  and 
then  applied  some  sticking-plaster  to  the  lacerated 
member,  after  he  had  restored  the  parts  to  their  nat- 
ural position.  Then  he  bandaged  the  leg  quite  skil- 
fully, so  as  to  keep  all  the  parts  in  place.  The  hands 
of  the  other  were  covered  with  sticking-plaster  and 
bandaged. 

With  the  assistance  of  the  seamen,  the  carcass  of 
the  old  orang  was  dragged  down  to  the  river,  and  put 
in  the  sampan  of  the  Malays.  The  young  one  was  as 
ugly  as  sin  itself,  and  tried  to  get  at  the  men  to  bite 
them.  Finally  Clingman  stuffed  a  piece  of  rope  into 
his  mouth,  and  tied  it  around  his  head  so  tight  that 
he  could  not  shut  his  mouth.  He  was  mad,  but  he 
could  not  bite.  He  was  put  into  the  sampan,  and 
made  fast  there. 

The  yacht  got  under  way  again,  and  with  the 
Malay  sampan  in  tow,  headed  down  the  river.  The 
tide  was  running  out  at  a  mill-stream  pace,  for  the 
water  in  the  stream  had  risen  far  beyond  its  usual 
level.  Achang  shook  his  head  as  he  looked  at  the 
rapid  outward  flow  of  the  water;  but  the  steamer 
went  at  railroad  speed,  and  the  boys  enjoyed  it 
hugely. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Achang  ?  "  asked  the  cap- 
tain, as  he  observed  the  uneasy  movements  of  the 


66  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

Bornean  as  the  yacht  approached  the  junction  with 
the  Sad  on g. 

"  Have  bore  soon ;  better  go  no  farther,'7  replied 
the  native.  "  Upset  all  boats  and  sampans." 

Captain  Scott  ordered  the  helmsman  to  go  to  the 
shore,  and  there  the  painter  of  the  Malay  sampan  was 
cast  off,  and  her  men  got  to  the  land. 

"  There  it  goes  up  the  Sadong ! "  cried  Achang,  as 
he  pointed  to  the  broad  stream. 

A  wave,  estimated  to  be  about  ten  feet  high,  frin- 
ging, curling,  and  lashed  into  foam,  and  roaring  in  its 
wrath,  rolled  up  the  river.  It  struck  two  small  sam- 
pans, upset  them,  and  spilled  the  men  in  them  into 
the  angry,  boiling  waters.  With  less  fury  it  rolled 
up  the  Simujan,  and  Scott  rushed  to  the  wheel  him- 
self. He  "faced  the  music,"  and  headed  the  yacht 
into  the  wave.  She  rose  some  feet  in  the  air  at  the 
bow,  and  passed  over  it.  She  was  too  far  from  the 
banks  to  be  thrown  ashore,  and  no  harm  was  done. 

These  bores  are  not  uncommon  on  the  Sadong ;  and 
they  were  not  a  new  thing  to  those  on  board  of  the 
Blanchita,  for  they  had  seen  one  in  the  Hoogly  at 
Calcutta ;  but  even  Scott,  who  was  a  bold  navigator, 
would  not  have  cared  to  be  in  the  river  when  a  wave 
ten  feet  high  swept  on  his  craft. 


A  PERFORMANCE  OF  VERY   AGILE  GIBBONS      67 


CHAPTER  VIII 

A    PERFORMANCE    OF    VERY    AGILE    GIBBONS 

THE  cabin  party  went  on  shore  and  breakfasted 
with  their  Chinese  friend,  who  had  invited  them  to 
the  meal  the  evening  before.  It  was  a  very  pleasant 
occasion,  and  it  occupied  half  the  forenoon.  The 
host  gave  them  useful  information,  and  listened  with 
interest  to  their  account  of  the  battle  with  the  orang- 
outangs. When  they  left  the  house  they  found  the 
two  Malays  who  had  been  their  companions  in  the 
morning  waiting  for  them. 

One  of  them  presented  a  tarsier  to  Scott.  It  was 
a  very  pretty  and  curious  little  creature,  belonging 
to  the  monkey  tribe.  It  had  very  large  eyes,  and 
was  certainly  very  cunning.  It  appeared  to  be  play- 
ful, but  his  new  owner  got  a  nip  from  its  teeth 
which  warned  him  to  be  careful.  The  most  curious 
part  of  the  animal  was  its  legs,  the  hind  ones  being 
much  the  longer. 

Its  five  slender  toes  ended  in  what  looked  like 
balls,  which  proved  to  be  flat,  and  acted  like  the  foot 
of  a  fly,  retaining  by  suction  its  hold  upon  the  tree 
where  it  lived.  The  spine  of  its  neck  was  so  con- 
structed that  it  could  describe  a  circle  with  its  head. 
Its  long  hind  legs  enabled  it  to  leap  like  a  kangaroo. 


68  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

The  other  Malay  brought  with  him  a  flying  dragon, 
a  king  of  lizards,  said  to  be  the  reptile  from  which 
the  fables  of  the  original  dragons  originated.  It  has 
a  pair  of  membranes  with  the  semblance  of  wings, 
with  which  it  sustains  itself  in  the  air  in  its  leaps 
from  one  tree  or  branch  to  another,  as  the  flying-fish 
does  in  its  flights  over  the  water. 

The  party  took  leave  with  many  thanks  of  the 
Chinese  agent,  and  promised  to  visit  him  on  their 
return  from  up  the  river.  Louis  stated  that  they 
wanted  to  kill  one  full-sized  orang-outang,  for  the 
one  killed  by  the  Malays  was  so  cut  up  and  chopped 
in  the  fight  that  she  was  not  in  condition  to  be 
stuffed  and  kept  as  a  good  specimen. 

"  You  will  find  them  on  the  Simujan,  but  hardly 
anywhere  else  in  the  island  except  in  this  vicinity, 
on  the  Sadong,  Batang  Lupar,  and  their  branches," 
replied  the  agent.  "  The  orangs  have  been  hunted 
so  much,  especially  by  naturalists,  that  they  are  be- 
coming scarce  ;  and  they  are  likely  to  become  extinct, 
for  the  scientists  are  looking  for  the  ( missing  link/ 
as  they  call  it." 

The  speaker  laughed  as  he  made  the  last  remark ; 
and  it  was  evident  that  he  was  not  a  Darwinian,  or 
at  least  that  he  had  not  followed  out  the  theory  of 
evolution.  Taking  their  places  in  the  yacht,  the 
captain  gave  the  order  to  cast  off  the  fasts,  the 
boat  stood  up  the  river,  and  soon  passed  the  scene 
of  the  morning's  conflict. 

"  Gibbons  !  "  exclaimed  Achang,  pointing  to  a  por- 


A   PERFORMANCE   OF   VERY   AGILE   GIBBONS      69 

tion  of  the  forest  where  the  trees  were  sparsely 
scattered. 

There  were  half  a  dozen  of  them,  and  they  seemed 
to  be  engaged  in  a  frolic.  This  ape  has  been  de- 
scribed in  a  former  volume,  for  it  is  abundant  in 
Sumatra.  Louis  wished  to  observe  the  movements 
of  the  animal,  which  has  very  long  arms,  is  wonder- 
fully agile,  and  a  gymnast  of  the  first  order.  It 
could  travel  all  over  Borneo  where  forests  exist  with- 
out touching  the  ground,  passing  from  tree  to  tree 
in  long  leaps.  The  boat  was  stopped  in  the  river,  in 
order  to  permit  the  party  to  witness  the  exhibition 
which  was  in  process,  without  the  payment  of  any 
admission  fee. 

Every  branch  was  a  trapeze,  and  no  troupe  of  ar- 
tists could  compare  with  them  in  the  agility  of  their 
movements.  Their  long  arms  appeared  to  be  the  key 
to  their  marvellous  feats,  for  their  legs  were  com- 
paratively short,  and  for  the  size  of  their  bodies  the 
animals  possessed  immense  strength. 

"  If  some  enterprising  manager  of  a  theatre  de- 
voting himself  to  athletic  exhibitions  could  secure 
the  services  of  the  half  dozen  gibbons  which  are 
giving  us  a  free  show,  he  would  make  his  fortune 
in  our  country/'  said  Louis.  "  Don't  try  to  see  them 
all  at  once,  but  watch  that  fellow  on  the  right." 

The  one  indicated  grasped  a  horizontal  branch 
with  his  hands,  his  arms  looking  like  the  ropes  of 
a  swing.  He  was  swaying  to  and  fro  with  great 
rapidity,  apparently  trying  to  see  how  fast  he  could 


70  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

go,  for  he  put  a  tremendous  amount  of  vigor  into 
his  efforts.  In  an  exhibition  hall  he  would  have 
"  brought  down  the  house,"  and  would  certainly 
have  received  an  "  encore" 

Suddenly,  while  he  was  swinging  at  a  dizzy  speed, 
he  let  go  his  hold  upon  the  branch,  and  seemed  to 
be  flying  through  the  air ;  but  with  his  fingered  feet 
he  seized  another  branch,  not  less  than  forty  feet 
from  the  first,  and,  with  his  long  arms  extended  to 
the  utmost,  continued  to  swing  in  this  inverted  posi- 
tion. The  observers  were  so  delighted  with  this 
skilful  performance  that  they  applauded  lustily  by 
clapping  their  hands.  The  noise  did  not  disturb  the 
performers,  and  the  actor  that  had  so  distinguished 
himself  appeared  to  put  even  greater  vigor  into  his 
movements. 

Possibly  he  was  getting  up  a  momentum ;  for  he 
soon  released  the  hold  of  his  feet  on  the  branch, 
went  flying  through  the  air  with  his  long  arms  ex- 
tended ahead  of  him  in  the  direction  of  another 
favorable  limb  of  a  tree,  and  grasped  it  with  his 
hands.  After  swinging  for  a  moment,  he  drew  him- 
self up  on  the  branch,  and  proceeded  to  walk  up  to 
a  greater  height,  using  his  hands  to  assist  in  keeping 
his  equilibrium.  This  was  a  fair  specimen  of  the 
performance  of  every  member  of  the  troupe. 

One  of  the  company  appeared  to  see  something  on 
the  ground  that  attracted  his  attention ;  and  he  made 
a  flying  leap  to  a  lower  branch,  and  then  dropped 
himself  upon  the  soil.  Looking  about  him  for  a 


A  PERFORMANCE   OF   VERY   AGILE   GIBBONS      71 

moment,  he  apparently  discovered  a  bush  with  some 
sort  of  fruit  on  it,  for  he  immediately  began  to  walk 
towards  it.  As  a  walkist  he  was  far  from  being  a 
success,  and  his  awkward  movements  excited  the 
laughter  of  the  interested  spectators.  In  his  present 
role  he  would  have  made  an  excellent  clown  in  a  cir- 
cus ring. 

His  short  legs  seemed  to  be  incapable  of  fully 
supporting  his  body,  and  he  behaved  like  an  inex- 
perienced athlete  walking  on  a  tight  rope  without 
a  balancing-pole.  His  long  arms  served  as  this  im- 
plement, and  with  a  bend  at  the  elbows  and  the 
hands  dropped  down,  he  waddled  along  very  slowly. 

"  It's  heavy  sea  for  that  fellow,  and  he  looks  like 
a  landlubber  trying  to  walk  the  deck  in  a  rough  sea," 
said  Captain  Scott.  "  But  I  fancy  the  performance 
is  over,  and  it  is  time  to  shoot  some  of  the  actors  if 
that  is  what  you  intend  to  do." 

"For  one,  I  don't  intend  to  do  anything  of  the 
sort,"  replied  Louis,  with  considerable  energy  in  his 
tones.  "  I  don't  believe  in  killing  for  the  sake  of 
killing,  or  for  the  fun  of  it.  My  admiration  of  the 
skilful  performance  we  have  just  witnessed  will  not 
allow  me  to  kill  the  actors  or  any  of  them." 

"  What  did  we  come  to  Borneo  for,  Louis  ?  "  asked 
the  captain. 

"  To  see  the  country,  and  explore  some  of  its  rivers." 

"  I  thought  we  came  here  to  hunt  and  fish,"  added 
Scott. 

"I  did  not  come  here  to  kill  harmless  creatures 


72  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

for  the  fun  of  it.  We  want  a  full-grown  orang,  and 
I  am  ready  to  hunt  for  him/'  replied  Louis.  "  We 
want  him  for  the  purpose  of  study,  and  to  show  to 
our  friends  on  board  of  the  ship.  I  don't  object  to 
shooting  any  bird  or  animal  to  extend  our  informa- 
tion." 

Louis  had  his  double-barrelled  fowling-piece  in  his 
hand.  Suddenly  he  brought  it  to  his  shoulder  and 
fired.  All  eyes  were  directed  to  the  shore,  and  a 
large  bird  was  seen  to  drop  upon  the  ground.  The 
captain  started  the  boat,  and  ran  her  up  to  the  bank. 
Clinch  leaped  ashore,  and  soon  brought  the  bird  on 
board.  Its  plumage  was  highly  colored  and  very 
beautiful. 

"  What  do  you  call  that  bird,  Louis  ? "  asked 
Morris. 

"  Chambers  calls  it  simply  the  argus,  but  the 
more  common  name  is  the  argus-pheasant,"  re- 
plied Louis. 

"  Faix,  he's  a  magnificent  crayter ;  and  what  a  long 
tail  our  cat  has  got,"  added  Felix,  as  he  spread  the 
bird  out  on  the  gunwale. 

The  last  remark  referred  to  the  long  tail  of  the 
bird,  which  made  the  entire  length  from  the  bill  to 
the  end  of  it  about  five  feet.  Only  two  of  the 
feathers  were  thus  prolonged,  adding  about  three 
feet  to  the  dimension.  The  variety  of  colors  were 
jet  black,  deep  brown,  fawn,  white,  and  a  number  of 
secondary  hues.  The  bird,  deprived  of  his  feathers, 
is  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary  hen. 


A    PERFORMANCE   OF   VERY   AGILE   GIBBONS      73 

"  But  you  can't  see  him  at  his  best  now  that  he  is 
dead,"  continued  Louis,  who  had  read  up  the  animal 
life  he  expected  to  find  in  Borneo.  "  Like  a  peacock, 
though  to  a  less  extent,  he  can  spread  out  his  pretty 
feathers,  but  not  in  the  same  manner ;  for  they  open 
out  in  the  form  of  a  circle,  making  a  sort  of  round 
disk  on  his  back  and  concealing  his  head.  If  you 
could  see  the  bird  alive  with  his  wings  spread  out 
you  would  find  every  feather  had  a  number  of  marks 
that  look  like  eyes,  and  seventeen  have  been  counted 
on  one  of  them.  Each  of  these  marks  consists  in 
part  of  a  jet-black  ring,  with  other  different  colored 
rings  inside  of  it,  which  make  the  whole  figure  like 
an  eye. 

"  You  remember  a  fellow  who  was  called  Argus  in 
mythology,  who  had  a  hundred  eyes,  of  which  only 
two  were  ever  asleep  at  the  same  time.  This  bird 
gets  his  name  from  him;  though  the  story  is  that 
Mercury  killed  him,  and  Venus  transferred  his  eyes 
to  the  tail  of  the  peacock." 

"  Thanks  for  the  lecture,  Louis,"  said  Scott  when 
he  had  finished  his  description.  "  It  was  certainly  a 
part  of  our  plan  in  coming  to  Borneo  to  study  natural 
history ;  and  we  are  doing  so  instead  of  shooting  all 
the  time." 

Just  at  this  moment  Felix,  who  had  wandered 
from  the  fore  cabin  to  the  waist,  discharged  his  fowl- 
ing-piece. The  Milesian  was  as  good  a  shot  as  Louis, 
for  both  of  them  had  been  trained  in  the  same  shoot- 
ing-gallery in  New  York.  All  hands  rushed  to  the 


74  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLOKEKS 

rail  to  ascertain  what  the  hunter  had  brought  down. 
On  the  bank  of  the  river  they  discovered  a  creature 
about  two  feet  long,  lying  on  its  back,  and  struggling 
in  its  death-throes. 

Lane  leaped  ashore,  and  soon  laid  the  animal  on 
the  gunwale  of  the  boat  by  the  side  of  the  argus.  It 
was  a  queer-looking  creature  about  the  head,  and  no 
one  on  board  except  Achang  had  ever  seen  one  like 
it.  For  the  length  of  the  head,  the  muzzle  was  very 
broad,  hardly  less  than  three  inches.  It  was  covered 
with  a  soft  and  rather  long  fur  on  its  body,  dark 
brown  in  color. 

"What  do  you  call  my  game,  Mr.  Naturalist?" 
demanded  Felix,  addressing  Louis,  who  was  looking 
the  animal  over. 

"Cynogale  Bennetti"  replied  the  young  naturalist 
very  gravely. 

"  Faix,  that's  jist  what  I  thought  he  was  whin  Oi 
foired  at  him,"  added  Felix.  «  Sin  0,  gal !  But 
what  had  Ben  Netty  to  do  wid  it  ?  Or  was  Netty 
the  name  of  the  gal  ?  " 

"  I  gave  you  the  scientific  name  because  this  crea- 
ture has  no  plain  English  name,  though  the  natives 
here  call  it  the  mampalon,"  added  Louis. 

"  That's  what  we  call  it ;  but  I  forgot  the  name," 
said  Achang. 

"  He  is  one  of  the  otter  family ;  and  Mr.  Hornaday, 
whose  book  I  hope  you  will  all  read  when  you  return 
to  the  ship,  thought  it  might  be  called  the  otter-cat. 
I  wish  we  could  have  taken  him  alive,  for  it  would 


A   PERFORMANCE   OF   VERY  AGILE   GIBBONS      75 

have  made  a  very  nice  specimen  to  set  up  in  the 
cabin  of  the  Guardian-Mother." 

"  I  should  like  to  knock  over  the  big  orang-outang 
you  want,  Louis,  my  darling,'7  continued  Felix. 
"There  comes  a  covered  sampan  up  the  river,"  he 
added,  pointing  down  the  stream. 

Many  such  covered  boats  are  used  on  the  rivers. 
On  a  frame  of  bamboo  or  other  wood  was  a  covering 
of  leaves,  each  of  which  is  six  to  seven  feet  long,  and 
two  inches  wide.  They  are  sewed  together  with  a 
thread  of  rattan,  overlaying  each  other,  like  tiles  or 
shingles,  thus  shedding  the  rain.  They  were  in  strips 
or  squares,  so  that  they  could  be  readily  removed. 
The  sides  were  sometimes  curtained  with  the  same 
material.  The  long  leaves  are  taken  from  the  nipa 
palm,  which  grows  abundantly  in  the  island,  and 
serves  a  great  many  useful  purposes. 

The  boat  waited  to  see  the  covered  sampan,  and 
later  there  appeared  to  be  two  of  them.  As  they 
approached,  the  familiar  voice  of  the  Chinese  agent 
was  heard  hailing  the  party.  It  appeared  that  this 
gentleman  was  bound  up  the  river  to  a  Dyak  village, 
a  few  miles  farther  up. 

"You  had  better  go  with  us,"  said  the  agent,  as 
his  sampan  stopped  abreast  of  the  steamer.  "I 
spoke  to  you  about  a  Dyak  long-house ;  and  you  will 
have  an  opportunity  to  examine  one,  and  to  sleep  in 
it  if  you  are  disposed  to  do  so.  You  will  be  received 
very  kindly,  and  have  a  chance  to  see  the  people  as 
well  as  the  houses." 


76  FOUR  YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Eng  Quee ;  we  will  certainly  go 
with  you,"  replied  Captain  Scott,  prompted  by  Louis. 
"  We  will  heave  you  a  line,  and  tow  you  up." 

In  a  few  minutes  more  the  steamer  moved  up  the 
river  with  the  two  sampans  in  tow. 


A   VISIT  TO   A  DYAK  LONG-HOUSE  77 


CHAPTER  IX 

A    VISIT    TO    A    DYAK    LONG-HOUSE 

As  the  Blanchita  approached  her  destination  many 
Dyaks  appeared  on  the  shores.  They  were  Sea  Dyaks 
in  this  region ;  and  the  name  seems  to  have  come 
down  from  a  former  era  in  the  history  of  the  island, 
for  at  the  present  time  they  have  little  or  no  connec- 
tion with  a  sea-faring  life,  and  their  sampans  are 
mainly  if  not  entirely  used  on  the  rivers.  But  for- 
merly they  built  large  war-boats,  or  bankongs,  some 
of  which  were  seventy  feet  long. 

These  craft  did  not  go  to  sea.  The  naval  battles 
were  fought  on  rivers  and  lakes ;  for  the  boats  were 
not  adapted  to  heavy  weather,  and  could  not  have 
lived  even  in  a"moderate  gale.  They  were  propelled 
entirely  by  oars,  single  banked,  and  twenty-four 
rowers  were  all  that  could  work.  The  largest  of 
them  had  a  platform  or  elevated  deck,  under  which 
the  oarsmen  sat,  and  on  which  the  warriors  engaged 
the  enemy. 

Some  sort  of  strategy  was  used ;  for  the  small  boats 
were  sent  ahead  sometimes  to  skirmish  with  the  foe, 
and  lure  their  canoes  to  a  point  where  the  larger 
craft  were  concealed,  which  then  came  out  and  fell 
upon  the  enemy.  If  the  craft  were  used  for  purposes 


78  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

of  piracy,  as  they  were  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
island,  in  attacking  foreign  vessels,  it  could  only  be 
when  the  strangers  were  caught  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  the  shores. 

Mr.  Eng  came  on  board  of  the  yacht  when  his  sam- 
pans were  taken  in  tow,  and  was  seated  with  the 
cabin  party  on  the  forward  seats.  He  spoke  English 
perfectly,  and  explained  everything  that  needed  it  as 
the  boat  proceeded.  The  explorers  had  seen  Dyaks 
enough,  but  had  not  before  taken  the  trouble  to  study 
them  ;  for  they  seemed  not  to  be  in  touch  with  the 
civilization  of  Sarawak,  and  were  "  hewers  of  wood 
and  drawers  of  water,"  and  not  proper  specimens  of 
the  race. 

"  The  men  here,  Mr.  Eng,  do  not  appear  to  be  very 
powerful  physically,"  said  Louis,  as  they  passed  sev- 
eral laborers  at  work  in  a  paddy. 

"They  are  not  as  strong  as  Englishmen  and  Amer- 
icans," replied  "the  agent,  glancing  at  the  seamen  in 
the  waist.  "  The  tallest  man  I  have  seen  among  the 
Sea  Dyaks  was  not  more  than  five  and  a  half  feet  in 
height.  Five  feet  three  inches  is  a  more  common 
figure,  though  the  average  is  less  than  that.  They 
are  not  men  of  great  strength ;  but  they  are  active,  of 
great  endurance,  and  in  running  they  exhibit  great 
speed." 

"These  people  are  not  ruined  by  their  tailors' 
bills,"  said  Scott. 

"  They  do  not  need  much  clothing  in  this  climate ; 
and  a  piece  of  bark-cloth  a  yard  wide  is  full  dress 


A   VISIT   TO   A   DYAK  LONG-HOUSE  79 

here.  The  chawat,  as  they  call  this  garment,  is  about 
five  feet  long,  and  is  wound  around  the  waist  tightly, 
and  drawn  between  the  legs,  one  end  hanging  down 
in  front,  and  the  other  behind.  They  wear  a  sort  of 
turban  on  the  head ;  and  some  of  them  have  as  many 
as  four  rings,  large  and  small,  hanging  from  their 
ears,  through  which  they  pass.  Some  of  them  use 
white  cotton  instead  of  bark-cloth,  like  the  Hindoos 
in  India." 

The  yacht  was  now  approaching  the  landing-place 
pointed  out  by  the  agent.  A  crowd  of  women  and 
children  were  hurrying  to  the  riverside.  They  ap- 
peared to  be  lighter  in  complexion  than  the  men.  As 
a  rule  they  were  not  handsome,  though  a  few  of  them 
were  rather  pretty.  The  American  visitors  were  not 
likely  to  fall  in  love  with  any  of  the  young  women 
on  the  shore.  They  were  all  in  "  full  dress,"  which 
means  simply  a  petticoat,  reaching  from  the  waist  to 
the  knees,  made  of  bark-cloth  embroidered  with  va- 
rious figures. 

A  few  of  the  females  wore  a  sort  of  red  jacket  and 
the  conical  Malay  hat;  but  those  are  used  only  on 
"state  occasions.'7  The  single  garment  was  secured 
at  the  waist  by  being  drawn  into  a  belt  of  rattans,  col- 
ored black.  Above  this  was  worn  a  coil  of  many 
rings  of  large  brass  wire ;  and  all  of  them  seemed  to 
be  provided  with  this  appendage.  There  was  some 
variety  in  the  use  of  this  ornament ;  for  some  wore  it 
tightly  wound  around  the  body,  while  others  had  it 
quite  loose. 


80  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

In  addition  to  this  some  of  the  young  girls  had  a 
dozen  rings  of  various  sizes  hanging  loosely  around 
their  necks,  and  falling  upon  the  chest,  which  had  no 
other  covering.  Their  eyes  were  black,  as  was  also 
their  hair,  which  was  very  luxuriant,  and  generally 
well  cared  for,  being  tied  up  in  a  cue  behind. 

The  village  did  not  consist  of  a  great  number  of 
small  buildings,  but  from  the  landing-place  could  be 
seen  the  end  of  an  immense  structure  with  a  forest 
of  palms  behind  it.  The  rear  of  it  was  not  perpen- 
dicular, but  slanted  outward,  like  many  of  the  walls 
of  corn-houses  in  New  England,  doubtless  to  keep  the 
rain  from  the  roof  from  penetrating.  All  the  party, 
including  the  sailors,  landed;  for  Mr.  Eng  declared 
that  the  Dyaks  were  honest,  and  even  in  Sarawak 
were  never  known  to  steal  anything,  though  the 
Malays  and  Chinamen  were  given  to  pilfering. 

The  crowd  of  men,  women,  and  children  gathered 
on  the  shore  had  looked  the  Blanchita  over  with  the 
closest  attention  while  the  Americans  were  looking 
them  over.  The  party  landed  under  the  escort  of 
the  agent,  and  took  up  the  line  of  march  for  the  big 
house.  The  entire  crowd  of  Dyaks  followed  them, 
though  they  did  not  intrude  upon  them ;  on  the  con- 
trary, they  treated  all  of  the  visitors  with  a  respect 
and  deference  bordering  on  homage. 

"That  « long-house,'  as  we  call  it  here,  is  nearly 
two  hundred  feet  in  length,"  said  Mr.  Eng.  "It  is 
thirty  feet  wide.  Now  you  can  see  more  of  it ;  and 
you  notice  that  it  is  set  upon  a  multitude  of  posts, 


A   VISIT   TO  A   DYAK  LONG-HOUSE  81 

like  all  Malay  and  Dyak  houses.  These  posts  are 
firmly  set  in  the  ground ;  and  being  about  six  inches 
in  diameter,  you  can  readily  see  that  the  house  rests 
on  a  solid  foundation.  It  is  not  likely  to  be  blown 
down  in  any  ordinary  gale,  though  a  hurricane  might 
sweep  it  away.  Not  a  nail,  not  a  wooden  pin  or  peg, 
is  used  in  the  construction  of  such  buildings." 

"Then,  I  should  think  any  ordinary  gale  would 
level  them  to  the  ground,"  suggested  Louis. 

"  But  the  Dyaks  have  a  substitute  for  nails  or 
pins,"  replied  the  guide.  "All  the  poles  and  sticks 
and  boards  are  tightly  bound  together  with  rattans; 
and  I  believe  they  hold  together  better  than  if  they 
were  nailed." 

"  I  observed  in  England  and  France  that  the  sta- 
gings used  in  the  erection  of  buildings  were  made 
partly  of  round  poles,  tied  together  with  ropes.  I 
talked  with  a  man  who  told  me  they  were  stronger 
than  if  put  together  with  nails,"  said  Morris. 

"  I  think  he  was  right.  I  can't  tell  you  how  the 
Malays  and  Dyaks  manage  the  rattan  to  render  it  so 
flexible,  but  it^seems  to  me  they  make  better  work 
than  ropes.  On  the  back  of  this  house,  there  is  not  a 
single  window  or  other  opening,"  continued  Mr.  Eng, 
as  the  party  stood  at  the  end  of  the  structure,  near 
the  rear  corner.  "  The  disagreeable  feature  of  the 
building,  or  rather  of  the  habits  of  the  occupants,  is 
that  the  space  under  it,  ten  feet  between  the  ground 
and  the  floor,  is  a  catch-all  for  all  refuse  matter,  and 
you  notice  that  an  unpleasant  odor  comes  from  it." 


82  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"  Is  this  the  only  entrance  to  it  ?  "  asked  Scott, 
pointing  to  a  door,  which  was  reached  by  a  log  notched 
like  a  flight  of  stairs. 

"  There  is  a  door  at  the  other  end  also ;  and  there 
may  be  ways  of  mounting  the  platform,  or  veranda, 
which  forms  the  front  of  the  building,  as  climbing  a 
post,  or  dropping  from  a  tree.  Some  of  the  posts,  of 
which  you  see  a  multitude  under  the  house,  are  cut 
off  at  the  first  floor,  while  many  of  them  reach  up  to 
the  roof,  and  support  it.  We  will  go  in  now,  if  you 
like ;  and,  being  sailors,  I  suppose  you  can  climb  the 
log." 

"No  doubt  of  that/'  replied  Scott,  who  was  the  first 
to  ascend.  "  Are  all  that  crowd  coming  up  ?  " 

"  Certainly ;  they  are  the  occupants  of  the  long- 
house,  and  they  must  be  at  home  in  order  to  do  the 
honors  of  the  occasion/'  laughed  the  guide. 

The  villagers  followed  the  party,  and  immediately 
manifested  their  politeness  in  various  ways.  The 
prettiest  girl  in  the  crowd  spoke  to  Louis ;  though  he 
did  not  understand  a  word  she  said,  but  replied  to  her 
in  English,  when  she  was  as  much  at  sea  as  he  had 
been. 

"  What  does  she  say,  Achang  ?  "  he  asked  of  the 
Bornean. 

"  Tabet,  tuan,"  replied  the  native. 

"  I  heard  her  say  that ;  but  what  does  it  mean  ?  " 

"  It  means, '  Good-day,  sir/  "  answered  the  Bornean ; 
and  he  proceeded  to  tell  her  that  Louis  was  the  "  head 
man,"  very  rich,  and  owned  a  big  ship. 


A   VISIT   TO   A  DYAK  LONG-HOUSE  83 

She  Inade  a  very  graceful  obeisance  to  him,  and 
then  rushed  away  through  a  door  on  the  side  of  the 
grand  hall,  as  it  may  well  be  called.  But  she  returned 
immediately,  bringing  a  very  elaborately  worked  mat, 
which  she  spread  on  the  floor  at  the  feet  of  the  "  head 
man."  Then  she  spread  out  her  hands,  and  bowed 
low,  saying  something  which  was  Greek  to  him. 

"  She  invites  you  to  take  a  seat  on  the  mat," 
Achang  explained. 

As  a  matter  of  politeness  Louis  seated  himself,  and 
looked  at  the  maiden  who  treated  him  with  so  much 
consideration.  By  this  time  the  other  women  were 
bringing  mats  for  the  rest  of  the  party,  making  no 
distinction  between  the  seamen  and  the  cabin  party. 
The  latter  followed  the  example  of  the  young  million- 
aire, and  seated  themselves.  The  foremast  hands  de- 
clined the  proffered  courtesy ;  and  Achang  explained 
to  the  ladies  that  only  the  four  young  men  who  were 
seated  were  the  magnates  of  the  company,  while  the 
others  were  inferior  personages,  for  the  Bornean  was 
not  strictly  democratic  in  his  ideas. 

"We  will  look  at  the  house  now,  if  you  please," 
said  Mr.  Eng,  after  the  "  Big  Four  "  had  been  seated  a 
few  minutes ;  and  all  of  them  rose  to  their  feet,  bow- 
ing low  to  the  young  ladies  who  had  treated  them 
with  so  much  distinction. 

About  forty  or  fifty  of  the  posts  extended  from 
the  ground,  for  the  visitors  had  not  time  to  count 
them;  and  most  of  them  had  suspended  upon  them 
various  trophies  of  the  hunt,  including  the  antlers 


84  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

of  deer,  crocodiles'  heads,  weapons,  paddles,  and 
spears.  In  the  middle  of  the  long  hall  a  fire  was 
burning  on  a  foundation  of  soil,  enclosed  by  a  border 
of  wood.  In  the  roof  was  a  sort  of  scuttle,  which 
was  fastened  open  to  admit  the  air,  and  to  allow 
some  of  the  smoke  to  escape,  though  there  was 
plenty  of  it  remaining  in  the  apartment. 

"  What  is  that  overhead,  Mr.  Eng  ?  "  asked  Louis, 
pointing  to  a  black  mass  suspended  near  the  fire, 
though  he  had  a  suspicion  of  its  nature. 

"  That  is  a  collection  of  human  skulls,  relics  of  the 
days  of  head-hunting ;  for  they  are  generally  kept 
in  a  building  erected  for  the  purpose,  though  appro- 
priated at  the  present  time  partly  to  other  uses. 
There  are  about  twenty  of  them,  which  is  not  a  large 
number  for  a  village  like  this.  Not  one  of  them  is 
less  than  twenty  years  old ;  for  Kajah  Brooke  put  an 
end  to  head-hunting  long  ago,  though  some  of  it  has 
been  done  in  spite  of  his  edicts.  A  lady  beckons 
to  you,  Mr.  Belgrave." 

The  pretty  girl  —  by  comparison  —  stood  by  his 
side,  pointing  to  one  of  the  numerous  doors  at  the 
closed  side  of  the  house.  Louis  followed  her,  and 
she  conducted  him  into  a  room.  A  portion  of  the 
floor  was  covered  with  mats  on  which  the  occu- 
pants sleep,  with  an  earth  section  for  a  fire.  There 
was  no  furniture  of  any  kind.  The  roof  of  the 
building  was  covered  with  square  pieces  of  palm 
like  those  used  on  the  sampans,  and  these  could  be 
raised  in  each  room  when  necessary  for  air. 


A  VISIT   TO   A  DYAK  LONG-HOUSE  85 

"  This  apartment  is  occupied  by  one  family,  or  by 
a  married  couple,  and  unmarried  men  and  boys  sleep 
in  the  attic  overhead/7  said  Mr.  Eng.  "It  has  but 
one  door,  the  one  opening  into  the  main  hall.  This 
is  a  house  of  sixteen  doors ;  and  by  this  enumeration 
the  size  of  the  village  is  stated,  and  this  number 
gauges  the  taxes  to  be  paid." 

"  Citizens  cannot  dodge  their  taxes  here,  then,  as 
some  of  them  do  in  the  United  States,"  said  Scott. 

The  party  walked  the  entire  length  of  the  hall, 
and  then  passed  out  upon  the  platform,  which  was 
not  covered,  and  was  used  for  various  purposes,  such 
as  drying  rice  or  other  articles.  The  floors  were 
composed  of  strips  of  palm,  not  more  than  an  inch 
and  a  half  wide,  and  placed  an  inch  apart.  They 
were  lashed  to  the  floor  joists,  or  poles,  with  rattan. 

"  Those  doors,  which  indicate  the  taxable  rate  of 
the  village,  look  as  though  they  were  cut  out  of 
single  planks,"  said  Scott. 

"  And  so  they  are,"  replied  the  agent. 

"I  have  seen  no  saw-mills  here,  and  I  suppose 
they  bring  the  lumber  from  England  or  India." 

"Not  at  all,  though  some  may  be  obtained  in  that 
manner.  They  are  made  from  the  buttress  of  the 
tapang-tree,  which  you  must  have  seen." 

"I  have  not  noticed  any  such  thing,  though  per- 
haps none  of  us  could  identify  it,"  replied  the  cap- 
tain. 

"  It  is  found  growing  out  in  triangular  form  from 
just  above  the  roots  of  the  tree.  In  a  large  one  it  is 


86  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

twelve  or  fifteen  feet  long.  It  makes  a  natural  plank 
two  inches  thick,  which  may  be  trimmed  into  any 
shape  with  the  biliong." 

The  party  were  ready  to  depart ;  and  they  made  all 
sorts  of  courteous  gestures  to  their  hosts,  especially 
the  ladies.  The  women  asked  them  for  tobacco,  as 
Achang  interpreted  the  requests.  They  had  none, 
but  some  of  the  seamen  supplied  them  with  all  they 
had  about  them. 


MANNERS   AND   CUSTOMS   OF   THE  DYAKS      87 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE    MANNEKS    AND    CUSTOMS    OF    THE    DYAKS. 

AFTER  seeing  the  sleeping  accommodations  of  the 
Dyaks,  consisting  of  a  mat  on  a  rather  uneven  floor, 
the  Americans  concluded  to  pass  the  night  on  board 
of  the  yacht.  They  invited  Mr.  Eng  to  supper  on 
board,  and  he  passed  the  evening  with  them  in  the 
cabin. 

"  You  have  seen  the  Dyaks  at  home  now,  young 
gentlemen ;  how  do  you  like  the  looks  of  them  ? " 
asked  the  guest,  after  the  meal  had  been  disposed  of. 

"I  think  they  are  the  pleasantest  savages  I  have 
ever  met,"  replied  Louis. 

"I  am  afraid  you  did  not  appreciate  the  young 
women  who  were  so  attentive  to  you,  Mr.  Belgrave," 
continued  the  agent. 

"Regarding" them  as  uncivilized  maidens,  they  are 
about  the  best  specimens.  The  expression  on  their 
faces  was  pleasant,  a  few  of  them  were  pretty, 
though  as  a  whole  they  were  not  handsome,  and  they 
seemed  to  be  kind-hearted.  I  could  not  admire  them, 
though  their  eyes  were  as  brilliant  #s  they  were 
black.  Their  long  hair  would  be  the  envy  of  many 
an  English  or  American  belle." 

"  The  women  are  very  vain  of  their  hair.     They 


88  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

bestow  a  great  deal  of  attention  upon  it,"  added  Mr. 
Eng.  "The  fever  of  the  island  sometimes  deprives 
them  of  their  hair,  as  it  may  in  your  country,  and 
that  is  the  greatest  calamity  that  can  overtake  the 
younger  women." 

"  I  suppose  it  all  right  here ;  but  they  disfigure  and 
spoil  one  of  the  principal  attractions  of  ladies  in  en- 
lightened nations,  the  teeth,  which  they  blacken  by 
chewing  betel." 

"  It  also  makes  their  lips  look  as  though  they  had 
daubed  them  with  blood  or  red  paint ;  but  they  do  it 
here,  as  in  India,  to  make  themselves  more  beauti- 
ful. Tastes  differ,  and  the  practice  makes  them  ugly 
to  you.  The  betel-vine  grows  here,  and  the  leaves 
are  used  for  chewing.  The  nut  of  a  certain  palm 
produces  the  same  effect  on  the  teeth." 

"  I  don't  admire  the  brass  rings  they  wear  on 
their  waists  and  around  their  necks.  If  I  were  old 
enough  to  get  married,  I  should  not  look  for  a  wife 
among  the  Dyak  girls,"  said  Louis,  laughing  and 
shaking  his  head. 

"  The  Dyak  women  are  generally  well  treated ;  but 
they  have  to  work  very  hard,  and  much  that  you 
would  think  the  men  ought  to  do  is  done  by  them. 
The  lords  of  creation  here  are  inclined  to  be  lazy, 
while  their  wives  and  daughters  are  engaged  in  the 
rice-fields,  though  their  husbands  and  brothers  are 
driven  to  labor. 

"But  the  women  are  not  the  abject  slaves  you 
sometimes  find  them  in  the  savage  state.  They  have 


MANNERS   AND   CUSTOMS   OF  THE  DYAKS      89 

their  influence,  and  exercise  a  degree  of  control  in 
household  matters.  The  females  are  fond  of  fish, 
and  insist  that  their  husbands  shall  supply  them  with 
this  diet.  On  account  of  the  bores  which  sweep  up 
the  rivers,  this  is  often  a  dangerous  occupation,  and 
the  men  are  unable  to  procure  any  fish.  Instances 
are  known  in  which  the  women  bar  the  door  of  the 
house  against  them  if  they  are  unsuccessful." 

"  I  believe  the  Malays  are  generally  Mohammedans. 
What  is  the  religion  of  the  Dyaks  ?  "  inquired  Louis. 

"It  has  been  said  by  some  travellers  that  they 
have  no  religion  of  any  kind ;  but  I  don't  think  this 
is  quite  true,  though  it  is  not  far  from  it,"  replied 
Mr.  Eng.  "  Religion  is  a  very  indefinite  idea  among 
the  Dyaks,  and  they  are  chary  in  speaking  of  what 
there  is  of  it.  Some  who  have  been  among  them 
maintain  that  they  believe  in  a  Supreme  Being,  who 
has  a  great  many  different  names  among  the  various 
tribes.  They  have  almost  as  many  inferior  deities 
as  the  Hindus. 

"  They  are  _very  superstitious ;  and  there  are  all 
sorts  of  omens,  among  which  there  is  a  particular 
bird  which  has  obtained  the  name  of  the  omen  bird. 
His  cry  on  the  right  of,  or  behind,  a  person  engaged 
in  any  enterprise  is  an  unlucky  sign,  and  he  aban- 
dons his  object;  while  the  cry  heard  on  the  left  is 
a  favorable  omen,  and  the  individual  is  duly  encour- 
aged to  go  forward. 

"  I  had  a  story  from  a  Kyan  head  man  which  had 
come  down  to  him  as  a  tradition.  A  great  head- 


90  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

hunting  expedition,  consisting  of  a  thousand  warriors, 
had  set  out  many  years  ago.  It  had  not  gone  far 
when  a  little  muntjac,  which  you  know  is  a  kind  of 
deer,  ran  across  the  path  of  the  warriors.  This  was 
a  bad  omen;  and  they  gave  up  the  enterprise,  and 
returned  to  their  villages. 

"I  know  of  a  couple  just  married  who  separated 
because  they  heard  a  deer-cry  within  three  days  after 
their  union,  which  was  a  sign  that  one  of  them  would 
die  within  a  year.  Even  little  insects  intimidate 
doughty  warriors,  or  assure  them  that  they  are  far 
from  danger,  by  their  appearance  or  their  cry." 

"There  is  not  a  little  of  similar  superstition  in 
enlightened  nations,  though  there  is  vastly  less  of  it 
than  formerly,"  added  Louis. 

"  I  have  heard  my  grandfather  say  that  the  ticking 
of  a  death-watch  used  to  scare  him  so  that  he  could 
not  sleep  when  he  was  a  boy,"  said  Morris. 

"  What  is  a  death-watch  ?  "  asked  Scott. 

"  It  is  a  kind  of  beetle  that  conceals  itself  in  the 
walls  of  old  houses,"  replied  Louis.  "  The  noise  it 
makes  is  really  the  call  of  the  bug  for  his  mate,  and 
is  the  cry  of  love  instead  of  death,  as  many  ignorant 
people  believe.  The  breaking  of  a  looking-glass  is 
also  a  sign  of  death  in  the  family." 

"Mrs.  Blossom  wouldn't  break  a  looking-glass  for 
a  fortune,"  added  Felix.  "  She  says  she  broke  one 
nine  years  before  her  husband  died,  and  therefore  it 
was  a  sure  sign." 

"  But  the  death  must  come  within  a  year  to  make 


MANNERS   AND   CUSTOMS   OF  THE  DYAKS      91 

the  sign  hold  good,"  replied  Louis.  "But  if  en- 
lightened people  have  faith  in  such  stuff,  it  is  no 
wonder  that  Dyaks  believe  in  omens.  I  want  to  ask, 
Mr.  Eng,  if  these  Dyaks  are  regularly  married?" 

"  They  are,  though  with  very  little  ceremony,  and 
no  vows,  oaths,  nor  promises.  In  fact,  the  marriage 
consists  of  such  rites  as  the  parties  please,  and  often 
with  no  rites  at  all.  Sometimes  the  betrothed  are 
married  by  exchanging  bracelets  in  public,  or  by  eat- 
ing a  meal  of  rice  together.  In  some  communities 
the  affianced  are  seated  on  a  couple  of  bars  of  iron, 
and  the  head  man  shakes  a  couple  of  live  chickens 
over  their  heads,  invoking  many  blessings  upon  them, 
and  the  birds  are  afterwards  killed  and  eaten." 

"Do  these  people  drink  liqu(?r,  or  have  they  any- 
thing in  the  shape  of  intoxicating  fluids  ? "  asked 
Scott. 

"  The  national  drink  of  Borneo  is  tuak,  about  the 
vilest  tipple  that  ever  was  invented.  I  went  to  a 
Dyak  feast  when  I  first  came  to  the  island,  which 
proved  to  be  nothing  but  a  series  of  drunken  orgies. 
The  principal  actors  at  the  feast  were  a  number  of 
pretty  girls,  such  as  you  saw  this  afternoon.  Their 
office  was  to  induce  the  men  present  to  drink  this  vile 
liquid  till  they  dropped  on  the  floor  of  the  open  plat- 
form ;  and  they  even  poured  it  down  the  throats  of 
their  victims  when  no  longer  able  to  drink  for  them- 
selves." 

"  What  sort  of  rum  is  it  ?  "  inquired  Scott. 

"  It  looks  like  the  milk  of  the  cocoanut,  and  I  sup- 


92  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

pose  that  it  is  made  from  that;  but  I  did  not  taste 
it,"  replied  the  agent.  "  It  is  about  my  bedtime, 
and  I  think  I  will  go  to  my  sampan  and  retire." 

But  Captain  Scott  invited  him  to  sleep  on  board 
of  the  Blanchita ;  and  he  accepted  after  a  little  press- 
ing, evidently  believing  that  the  soft  cushions  of  the 
yacht  made  a  better  bed  than  the  mats  of  the  sam- 
pan. Felipe  was  instructed  to  have  steam  on  at  day- 
light, and  the  anchor  watch  was  to  call  him  in  season 
to  do  so.  Fully  protected  by  their  nettings  from  the 
mosquitoes,  which  had  troubled  them  to  some  extent 
in  the  evening,  all  hands  slept  like  tired  boys. 

When  the  steam  from  the  gauge-cocks  hissed  as 
the  engineer  examined  into  the  condition  of  the 
water  in  the  boiler,  the  sound  waked  the  captain, 
and  he  jumped  from  his  bed.  This  movement  roused 
all  the  others;  and  they  went  out  into  the  waist, 
following  the  example  of  Scott,  who  wore  nothing 
but  his  nightdress. 

"  I  am  going  to  have  a  swim  this  fine  morning," 
said  he. 

"Look  out  for  crocodiles,"  Morris  interposed. 
"You  know  they  are  man-eaters  in  these  rivers." 

"  I  haven't  seen  any  of  them  around  here,"  replied 
the  captain.  "But  call  all  hands,  Lane;  and  tell 
the  men  to  bring  out  their  rifles." 

"I  think  you  are  very  imprudent  to  go  into  the 
water  here,"  interposed  Mr.  Eng.  "The  reptiles 
are  on  the  watch ;  and  if  you  must  go  in,  I  warn 
you  to  keep  near  the  boat." 


MANNERS   AND   CUSTOMS   OF   THE   DYAKS      93 

But  the  boys  all  dived  from  the  gunwale  into 
the  river,  and  swam  out  a  few  rods.  The  men 
placed  themselves  on  the  rail,  and  kept  a  sharp 
look  out  for  saurians,  though  it  was  still  too  dark 
to  enable  them  to  see  very  distinctly.  Scott  had 
reasoned  that  he  could  not  take  his  bath  after  it 
was  fully  light,  for  a  crowd  of  Dyak  men  and  women 
would  be  011  the  bank  at  that  time. 

The  swimmers  had  not  been  in  the  water  more 
than  five  minutes  when  the  cry  of  "  Crocodiles ! " 
came  from  Achang,  who  had  stationed  himself  just 
forward  of  the  engine.  Probably  he  had  a  keener 
vision  for  the  reptiles  than  the  Americans ;  for  the 
seamen  had  not  yet  seen  anything  that  looked  like 
one.  He  could  tell  by  the  appearance  of  the  water 
that  the  enemy  was  approaching,  though  the  dis- 
turbance of  its  surface  was  near  the  other  side  of 
the  stream. 

The  party  in  the  water  turned  about,  and  headed 
for  the  boat,  swimming  with  all  the  vigor  they  could 
command.  Achang  had  his  rifle  in  his  hand;  but 
even  he  could  not  make  out  the  crocodile  clearly 
enough  to  be  sure  of  his  aim.  Five  minutes  more 
elapsed ;  for  it  required  that  time  for  the  swimmers 
to  reach  the  yacht.  The  seamen  assisted  the  party 
into  the  boat,  and  they  rushed  with  all  speed  into 
the  cabin ;  for  a  quartet  of  Dyak  maidens  had  already 
reached  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  were  begging  the 
men  for  more  tobacco. 

Achang  fired  his  rifle;  but  three  crocodiles  could 


94  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

now  be  seen  moving  towards  the  yacht.  Their  ap- 
proach was  not  impeded  by  the  shot,  for  it  was 
impossible  to  see  the  eyes  of  the  reptiles  in  the 
semi-darkness.  But  the  cabin  party  were  safe,  and 
it  was  as  useless  to  fire  at  them  as  it  would  have 
been  at  a  stone  wall. 

"I  advise  you  not  to  try  that  experiment  again, 
young  gentlemen,"  said  Mr.  Eng  as  the  bathing 
party  came  out  into  the  waist. 

"  I  don't  think  we  shall,  though  we  were  protected 
by  half  a  dozen  rifles,"  replied  the  captain,  who  had 
been  the  leader  in  the  venturesome  exploit. 

"If  you  do  try  it  again,  do  so  in  the  daylight, 
when  your  riflemen  can  see  the  eyes  of  the  enemy," 
added  the  agent.  "  I  must  bid  you  good-by  now,  for 
I  have  business  on  shore  here.  I  don't  think  the 
crocodiles  will  come  any  nearer  to  you,  but  be  pru- 
dent. I  shall  hope  to  see  you  at  Simujan  on  your 
return." 

Mr.  Eng  shook  hands  with  all  the  cabin  party,  and 
went  ashore.  The  captain  gave  the  order  to  cast  off 
the  fasts,  and  Lane  was  ordered  to  take  the  wheel. 
The  two  sampans  had  before  made  fast  to  the  shore ; 
and  as  the  Blanchita  got  under  way,  one  of  them  put 
off,  and  paddled  towards  the  crocodiles.  The  last 
that  was  seen  of  the  craft,  it  had  a  saurian  hooked 
after  the  Malay  mode  of  fishing  for  them. 

After  breakfast  had  been  served  in  the  cabin,  and 
the  party  had  gone  to  their  seats  forward,  the  charac- 
ter of  the  river  began  to  change,  becoming  much  nar- 


MANNERS   AND   CUSTOMS   OF  THE  DYAKS      95 

rower.  They  came  to  another  Dyak  village,  where 
the  jungle  was  cleared  off  and  paddies  were  near  the 
stream.  It  looked  as  though  all  the  inhabitants  had 
gathered  on  the  bank,  male  and  female.  A  long- 
house  was  to  be  seen  on  a  knoll,  and  the  wheelman 
was  ordered  to  take  the  boat  within  a  couple  of  rods 
of  the  shore. 

"  Are  you  going  to  make  a  landing  at  this  village, 
Captain  Scott  ?  "  asked  Louis. 

"No;  we  have  seen  enough  of  these  people,  but 
we  will  see  what  we  can  as  we  pass  along.  They  are 
all  beckoning  us  to  go  ashore ;  but  we  won't  do  so, 
for  any  more  Dyak  maidens  would  be  rather  monoto- 
nous." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,  Captain,  though  there  is 
one  with  a  big  stick  of  bamboo  in  her  hand,  who 
looks  more  graceful  and  pretty  than  any  we  saw  in 
the  village  we  visited,'7  replied  Louis. 

"  I  wonder  what  that  cane  is  for,"  added  Scott. 

"  That's  to  contain  some  kind  of  liquid ;  and  she 
may  have  fouc  feet  of  tuak  in  it,"  answered  the  mil- 
lionaire, laughing  at  the  idea  of  measuring  a  fluid  by 
Long  Measure.  "  I  think  the  girl  comes  nearer  to 
being  a  beauty  than  any  girl  I  have  seen  before." 

"  She  is  hooped  with  brass  like  all  the  rest  of 
them,"  added  Scott,  as  the  boat  proceeded  beyond 
the  group  on  the  shore. 

In  another  half-hour  great  trees,  with  an  abundant 
undergrowth  of  bushes,  extended  down  to  the  river, 
and  in  places  some  distance  into  the  water. 


96  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER   XI 

STEAMBOATING    THROUGH    A    GREAT    FOREST 

ALTHOUGH  there  was  a  wall  of  green  on  each  side 
of  the  boat,  and  the  river  was  not  more  than  sixty 
feet  wide,  the  explorers  found  that  everything  close  to 
the  earth  was  under  water.  If  the  dense  jungle  had 
not  prevented,  they  might  have  sailed  inland,  they 
knew  not  how  many  miles.  As  the  stream  became 
narrower  the  current  increased  in  force.  The  trees 
were  full  of  monkeys,  and  hundreds  of  them  appeared 
to  be  in  sight  all  the  time.  They  were  of  the  most 
common  kind  to  be  found  in  Borneo,  and  the  yacht 
created  no  excitement  among  them.  They  were  so 
tame  that  any  number  of  them  could  have  been 
brought  down  by  the  hunters. 

"  The  water  is  not  so  dirty  as  it  has  been  every- 
where below,"  said  Captain  Scott,  as  the  Blanchita 
stemmed  the  current  without  any  difficulty,  where 
paddling  a  sampan  must  have  been  a  laborious  oc- 
cupation. "  It  is  tolerably  clear  along  here,  and  we 
might  take  our  morning  bath  very  comfortably." 

"  We  might  if  a  big  crocodile  did  not  break  his  way 
through  the  bushes  to  pay  us  a  visit,"  replied  Louis. 

"  After  the  experience  of  this  morning,  I  am  not 
disposed  to  try  it  again,  and  I  shall  take  my  bath  in  a 


STEAMBOATING  THROUGH  A  GREAT  FOREST      97 

wash-bowl  with  a  sponge,  though  I  am  very  fond  of 
swimming.  But,  Louis,  don't  you  think  we  have  had 
about  enough  of  hunting  in  Borneo  ?  " 

"  Enough  !  Why,  we  have  not  yet  been  a  week  on 
the  island,"  replied  Louis,  not  a  little  astonished  at 
the  captain's  question.  "  I  have  enjoyed  myself  very 
well  so  far,  and  I  certainly  do  not  wish  to  leave  till 
we  have  killed  at  least  one  good-sized  orang." 

"It  is  rather  stupid  hunting  here,  for  about  all 
the  country  is  under  water,"  added  Scott.  "  There 
seems  to  be  nothing  but  monkeys  here ;  and  they  are 
very  small  game,  even  if  we  were  disposed  to  shoot 
them." 

"  But  there  are  some  lakes  up  the  river,  Mr.  Eng 
told  me ;  and  I  think  we  shall  get  out  of  this  tangle 
very  soon ;  and  when  we  come  to  higher  ground  we 
will  go  on  shore,  and  try  our  luck  on  foot." 

The  captain  talked  as  though  he  had  some  scheme 
in  his  head  which  he  was  not  yet  prepared  to  unfold 
to  his  companions.  But  what  could  he  do  ?  Nothing 
had  been  said-on  board  of  the  ship  about  coming  back 
to  Sarawak  for  the  hunters,  and  to  give  up  hunting 
and  exploring  would  be  simply  to  return  to  Kuching, 
and  idle  away  the  time  for  the  next  two  weeks. 
Louis  did  not  like  this  idea  at  all ;  and  yet  it  seemed 
to  be  the  alternative  which  Scott  must  have  in  his 
mind. 

"  Mias  !  "  shouted  Achang,  when  the  conversation 
had  proceeded  so  far. 

"  Where   is   your  mias  ?  "  demanded  Louis  ;    for 


98  FOCTR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

most  of  the  party  had  come  to  calling  the  orang  by 
his  Malay  name. 

The  Bornean  pointed  into  the  forest,  the  trees  of 
which  were  growing  in  the  water,  though  there  was 
an  undergrowth  of  screw-pines,  which  had  been  abun- 
dant all  along  the  river.  They  were  not  pines  as  the 
explorers  understood  the  word  at  home.  The  plant 
is  a  bush  or  small  tree  with  half  a  dozen  or  more 
branches  angling  upward  from  the  trunk,  and  twisting 
a  little  towards  it,  from  which  feature  it  takes  its 
name.  It  has  long,  lanceolated  leaves,  and  therefore 
is  not  at  all  like  the  American  pine. 

"  Stop  her,  Lane ! "  called  the  captain  in  a  tone 
that  "meant  business."  «  Back  her!" 

The  last  order  was  given  because  there  was  an 
opening  through  the  screw-pines  which  afforded  a 
full  view  of  the  taller  trees  about  twenty  rods  farther 
from  the  stream.  The  captain  then  took  the  wheel 
from  Lane,  rang  the  gong  to  go  ahead;  and,  put- 
ting the  helm  hard-a-starboard,  the  boat  came  about, 
headed  into  the  opening.  Looking  forward,  there 
seemed  but  very  few  trees  or  bushes  compared  with 
the* number  along  the  flowing  stream. 

"  Do  you  see  the  mias,  Louis  ?  "  asked  Scott. 

"  I  do  ;  and  he  is  in  a  very  favorable  position.  He 
is  a  big  one,  and  must  be  a  male,"  replied  Louis,  who 
stood  at  the  stem  with  a  repeating-rifle  in  his  hand. 

"  Do  you  see  him,  Flix  ?  " 

"I  do ;  and  he  has  a  green  nest  in  the  same  tree 
with  him." 


"Tor    ARK    XKAR    KXOCGH,    CAPTAIX." 

Page  99. 


STEAMBOATING  THROUGH  A  GREAT  FOREST      99 

By  this  time  all  the  party  had  taken  their  rifles. 
The  boat  moved  very  slowly.  A  seaman  sounded 
the  depth  with  a  boathook,  and  reported  eight  feet. 
As  she  approached  the  orang,  the  brute  showed 
his  teeth,  and  uttered  several  successive  growls,  as 
though  he  understood  that  danger  was  near ;  but 
he  did  not  attempt  to  escape. 

"  I  wonder  can  the  blackguard  swim,"  said  Felix, 
who  had  his  rifle  ready  to  fire. 

"  I  have  read  that  he  is  a  poor  swimmer,"  replied 
Louis. 

"  How  does  he  get  about  here  where  the  water 
is  eight  feet  deep  ? " 

"He  is  not  as  agile  as  the  gibbon;  but  he  can 
make  his  way  from  one  tree  to  another  in  the  same 
manner,  and  his  road  is  through  the  trees,  and  not 
on  the  ground." 

"Here  I  am,  and  I  can't  go  any  farther,"  said 
the  captain,  as  he  rang  to  stop  her.  "I  can't  get 
the  boat  through  this  clump  of  bushes." 

"  You  are  near  enough,  Captain  ;  let  her  rest  where 
she  is,"  replied  Louis,  as  he  aimed  his  rifle  at  the 
orang,  which  was  sitting  on  a  branch  holding  on  with 
both  hands. 

Louis  fired,  and  the  creature  fell  with  a  loud 
splash  into  the  water  at  the  foot  of  the  tree.  But 
he  was  not  dead,  and  was  struggling  to  escape.  He 
was  evidently  wounded  very  badly,  and  when  the 
hunter  saw  his  opportunity  he  fired  again.  The 
orang  had  grasped  a  screw-pine,  and  he  held  on,  but 


100  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

he  struggled  no  more.  The  captain  had  ordered  the 
sampan  to  be  brought  alongside,  and  two  men  were 
at  the  paddles.  Louis  and  Felix  joined  them,  and 
they  paddled  towards  the  game. 

"I  think  he  is  dead  though  he  still  holds  on  at 
the  bush,"  said  Louis. 

"We  shall  soon  find  out,"  added  Clingman,  as 
he  threw  a  slip-noose  over  his  head.  "  Heave  ahead 
now ! "  he  continued,  as  Clinch  grasped  the  line 
with  him,  and  they  pulled  together. 

The  orang  did  not  make  any  movement,  and  it 
was  certain  that  he  was  dead.  When  they  had 
drawn  him  within  a  few  feet  of  the  sampan,  the  line 
was  made  fast,  and  the  men  paddled  to  the  steamer. 
A  purchase  was  rigged  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  stan- 
chions, and  the  dead  animal  was  hoisted  into  the 
sampan. 

"Now,  Lane,  measure  him,"  said  the  captain. 

The  body  was  laid  out  at  full  length  in  the  bottom 
of  the  boat ;  and  the  carpenter  took  his  length  on  a 
boathook,  which  he  notched  to  indicate  the  height  of 
the  animal.  He  was  directed  to  take  several  other 
measurements ;  in  fact,  Louis  kept  him  at  work  for 
over  an  hour,  with  another  hand  to  assist  him  in 
spreading  out  the  limbs.  The  captain  became  quite 
impatient ;  for  he  was  less  a  scientist  than  the  young 
millionaire,  though  he  had  a  taste  for  natural  his- 
tory. 

"  Have  you  finished,  Louis  ? "  asked  Scott  as  the 
former  returned  to  the  yacht. 


STEAMBOATING  THROUGH  A  GREAT  FOREST      101 

"  All  done ;  but  Lane  must  sum  up  the  results," 
replied  Louis. 

"  What  good  will  all  those  measurements  do  you  ? " 
demanded  the  captain  rather  contemptuously. 

"  They  will  not  put  any  money  in  my  pocket,  but  I 
want  to  know  the  size  of  the  game  I  have  killed,'7 
answered  Louis,  somewhat  nettled  by  the  manner  of 
Scott.  "  When  a  man  has  caught  a  fish  he  wants  to 
know  what  his  prize  weighs." 

"  All  right ;  but  I  want  to  get  a  little  farther  into 
the  woods  here,  and  I  can  get  around  the  bushes 
ahead  of  her,"  replied  the  captain,  who  had  been 
studying  up  a  course  by  which  he  could  go  a  consid- 
erable distance  farther  inland. 

He  backed  the  boat,  and  then  went  ahead  very 
slowly,  with  Clingman  feeling  of  the  bottom  with  the 
boathook.  It  was  novel  sailing  through  the  forest  in 
a  steam-launch,  and  all  hands  enjoyed  it.  The  screw- 
pines  were  rather  scattered,  and  the  forest  of  large 
trees  was  quite  open.  After  the  boat  had  gone  about 
half  a  mile^as  the  captain  judged,  Clingman  made 
a  report. 

"  By  the  mark,  one,"  said  he,  as  the  depth  is  given 
with  the  lead,  in  fathoms. 

"  Six  feet ;  we  are  shoaling,"  added  Captain  Scott. 
"  Try  it  again." 

"  Five  feet,"  returned  the  seaman. 

The  steamer  continued  on  her  course,  with  Scott  at 
the  wheel,  for  some  time  longer.  The  dry  land  could 
be  seen  through  the  trees  at  no  great  distance  ahead. 


102  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

The  boat  continued  on  her  course  for  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  when  Clingman  call  out  a  depth  which  caused 
the  captain  to  ring  the  gong  to  stop  her.  The  last 
report  was  three  feet,  and  the  keel  was  evidently 
grinding  through  the  soft  mud.  Then  he  rang  to 
back  her ;  and  when  she  had  increased  her  depth  to 
four  feet,  he  struck  the  gong  to  stop  her. 

"  Dinner  is  ready,  gentlemen,"  said  Pitts. 

"We  must  attend  to  that  before  we  do  anything 
more,"  added  the  captain.  "Keep  a  sharp  lookout 
ahead,  Clingman." 

The  party  went  into  the  after  cabin,  and  the  nov- 
elty of  dining  on  board  of  a  steamer  in  the  woods  was 
sufficiently  inspiring  to  add  a  big  interest  to  the  oc- 
casion. 

"  What  have  you  got  for  dinner,  Pitts  ?  "  asked 
Felix,  as  he  entered  the  cabin.  "Have  you  got  any 
stewed  crocodiles  ?  " 

"Not  a  croc,  Mr.  McGavonty,"  replied  the  cook. 

"  Any  boiled  orang-outang  ?  " 

"  Not  an  orang.  The  captain  bought  six  dozens  of 
eggs  at  the  village  where  we  stopped  yesterday,  and 
I  have  ham  and  eggs  for  dinner,  which  I  hope  will 
suit  you/'  replied  Pitts. 

"  The  best  thing  in  the  world  for  me.  Whisper ! 
Are  they  crocodiles'  eggs  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,  sir." 

The  principal  dish  proved  to  be  very  satisfactory 
to  the  boys,  whose  appetites  had  been  sharpened  by 
the  exercise  of  the  forenoon.  The  cuisine  had  been 


STEAMBOATING  THROUGH  A  GKEAT  FOREST      103 

very  good  along  the  rivers,  for  Pitts  had  generally 
been  the  caterer  as  well  as  the  cook  and  steward. 
Chickens  and  eggs  had  been  plentiful  enough,  and  at 
the  town  he  had  obtained  some  fish.  There  was  no 
fresh  beef  or  mutton.  They  had  a  barrel  of  excellent 
salt  beef  from  the  stores  of  the  ship ;  and  Pitts  made 
a  splendid  hash,  which  suited  all  hands  better  than 
almost  anything  else. 

While  they  were  at  dinner  the  steward  brought  in 
Lane's  report  of  the  measurements  of  the  orang  Louis 
had  shot.  It  was  given  to  the  Captain  at  the  head 
of  the  table ;  and  he  read  it  off:  «  <  Height,  4  feet,  5£ 
inches ;  arms  spread  out  full  length,  from  end  to  end 
of  longest  fingers,  7  feet,  10  inches;  length  of  arm, 
3  feet,  3  inches  ;  length  of  hand,  10^  inches  ;  length 
of  foot,  V2,\  inches ;  round  the  waist,  4  feet,  2  inches. 
Four  men  estimated  on  the  weight,  and  the  average 
is  185  pounds.' " 

"  Big  mias,"  said  Achang. 

"  Do  you  think  you  can  skin  and  stuff  him, 
Achang  ?  "  asked  Louis. 

"  Know  I  can ;  have  done  it  with  naturalist." 

"  Then  you  may  go  to  work  on  it  as  soon  as  you 
please,  and  I  will  give  you  five  dollars  for  the  job," 
added  Louis.  "  Take  your  time,  and  do  it  well." 

"  Where  I  work  ?  Sampan  no  good." 

"I  can  make  a  place  in  the  waist,"  said  the  cap- 
tain ;  "  besides,  I  want  the  small  boat,  for  we  can  see 
higher  land  farther  in,  and  I  wish  to  go  ashore  there ; 
we  may  find  some  shooting." 


104  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

The  boxes  and  barrels  were  moved  farther  forward 
and  aft,  and  a  workshop  made  for  the  Bornean. 
The  sampan  was  cleaned  out  when  the  hands  had  fin- 
ished their  dinner,  and  the  "  Big  Four,"  embarked  in 
it.  They  did  their  own  paddling,  for  there  was  not 
room  enough  for  any  more  in  the  boat  without  crowd- 
ing. Each  of  them  carried  a  rifle.  It  was  but  a 
short  distance,  and  the  party  were  soon  on  the  dry 
land. 

Louis  had  hardly  put  his  feet  on  the  shore  when 
he  levelled  his  gun  and  fired.  A  moment  later  Felix 
followed  his  example ;  and  each  of  them  had  brought 
down  a  deer.  They  rushed  forward  to  secure  their 
game;  and  then  the  other  two  hunters  discharged 
their  rifles,  and  a  couple  of  wild  pigs  rolled  over 
on  the  ground.  It  was  plain  that  they  had  struck 
a  spot  where  hunters  seldom  came.  If  there  was 
any  more  game  near,  the  report  of  the  guns  had 
driven  it  off. 

"  That  was  pretty  well  for  a  five  minutes'  hunt/' 
said  Louis  when  he  and  Felix  had  dragged  the  two 
deer  to  the  water.  "  I  think  we  had  better  stay  here 
over  night,  and  hunt  on  high  ground  to-morrow." 

"That  wouldn't  do,  Louis,  and  I  should  not  dare 
to  keep  the  Blanchita  here  over  night,"  replied 
Captain  Scott. 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  The  water  is  high  and  low  up  here  by  turns,  and 
I  am  afraid  I  should  find  the  yacht  on  the  bottom 
in  the  morning,"  replied  Scott.  "Then  we  could 


STEAMBOATING  THROUGH  A  GREAT  FOREST      105 

not  get  her  out  of  the  woods,  and  might  have  to  stay 
here  a  week  or  two,  waiting  for  water  to  float  her. 
No,  no;  I  won't  take  the  risk." 

The  game  was  dragged  to  the  shore,  and  loaded 
into  the  sampan  j  for  the  appalling  picture  the  captain 
had  made  of  low  water  induced  them  all  to  hurry 
on  board  of  the  yacht. 


106  FOUR  YOUNG   EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER   XII 

A    FORMIDABLE    OBSTRUCTION    REMOVED 

THE  deer  shot  by  Felix  was  a  little  fellow,  though 
he  was  full  grown,  Achang  said,  when  it  was  taken 
on  board  the  yacht.  The  one  killed  by  Louis  was 
much  larger.  The  pigs  were  in  better  condition  than 
the  one  shot  before.  The  men  were  set  at  work  to 
skin  the  deer,  and  the  cook  cut  out  the  best  parts 
of  the  two  swine.  There  was  plenty  of  salt  pork  in 
the  stores,  so  that  the  sides  were  not  needed. 

Achang  kept  himself  very  busy  in  his  workshop. 
He  had  a  difficult  job  on  his  hands  ;  for  he  had  to  skin 
the  fingers  and  toes  of  the  animal,  and  to  keep  every 
part  in  its  original  shape.  Captain  Scott  went  to 
the  wheel  as  soon  as  he  came  on  board,  and  started 
the  engine.  Clingman  reported  the  depth  of  water  the 
same  as  when  the  party  went  on  shore.  By  back- 
ing and  going  ahead  a  short  distance  at  a  time,  he 
got  the  boat  about,  and  headed  her  for  the  river. 

The  water  was  deep  enough,  and  there  was  no 
particular  difficulty  in  the  navigation,  though  he  was 
to  follow  the  course  he  had  taken  at  first.  He  had 
carefully  observed  the  shape  and  location  of  the  trees, 
and  the  stream  was  reached  in  a  short  time.  Louis 
declared  that  it  was  a  great  pity  they  could  not  re- 


A   FORMIDABLE   OBSTRUCTION   REMOVED      107 

main  near  the  high  ground,  for  he  had  no  doubt  that 
plenty  of  game  would  have  been  found. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  we  have  got  all  the  game  we 
want,"  said  Scott.  "What  could  we  do  with  a  couple 
more  deer  and  a  brace  of  wild  hogs  ? " 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right ;  but  the  fellows  want  to 
hunt,  though  I  think  I  have  had  enough  of  it.  I 
enjoy  the  sailing  up  this  river,  and  it  will  be  pleasant 
to  explore  the  lakes  farther  up  the  stream,"  added 
Louis. 

"  I  hope  we  shall  get  to  some  place  where  we  can 
do  some  fishing  for  a  change ;  besides,  I  am  fish 
hungry,"  replied  Scott. 

"  Most  of  the  fishing  here  is  done  with  the  tuba 
plant;  and  I  think  it  is  mean  to  stupefy  the  fish, 
and  then  pick  them  up  on  the  top  of  the  water.  But 
the  river  is  clearer  up  this  way,  and  we  will  drop 
our  lines  when  we  come  to  a  good  place." 

"  If  you  want  to  do  any  more  shooting  just  now, 
there  is  a  flock  of  long-noses"  (by  which  he  meant 
proboscis  monkeys),  said  the  captain,  as  he  pointed 
to  them. 

"  We  have  one  good  specimen  of  that  creature,  and 
I  don't  want  any  more  at  present ;  but  I  would  give 
something  to  know  why  they  prefer  to  be  in  trees 
which  grow  out  of  the  water,"  added  Louis. 

"  I  give  it  up,  for  I  don't  see  any  reason  for  it ; 
but  I  suppose  the  long-nose  understands  the  matter 
himself,  and  he  won't  tell  us.  Here  we  are  at  the 
river." 


108  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

The  captain  rang  the  speed-bell  as  the  steamer  en- 
tered the  stream  where  it  was  only  thirty  feet  wide. 
There  was  a  considerable  current,  and  the  screw- 
pines  were  densely  packed  together  on  both  sides. 
The  boat  continued  on  her  course  for  half  an  hour 
longer,  when  she  seemed  to  have  come  to  the  end 
of  all  things,  and  the  gong  rang  to  stop  her. 

"  Here  we  are  !  "  exclaimed  Scott.  "  And  here 
we  are  likely  to  remain,  unless  we  back  down  stream 
till  we  find  a  place  wide  enough  to  turn  in." 

The  obstruction  which  closed  the  passage  of  the 
river  against  the  Blanchita  was  a  bridge  of  dead  pines 
which  the  current  had  brought  down,  and  they  had 
caught  at  the  sides  till  they  formed  the  barrier.  It 
was  not  more  than  six  feet  wide,  though  it  might  as 
well  have  been  a  hundred  so  far  as  blocking  up  the 
river  was  concerned. 

"  I  don't  like  the  idea  of  stopping  here,  for  I  want 
to  see  the  lakes  above ;  and  I  hoped  we  might  get 
some  fishing  there,"  said  Louis. 

"What  the  matter  is?"  called  Achang  from  his 
workshop. 

He  moved  to  one  side  so  that  he  could  see  the 
obstruction. 

"  You  can  go  through  that,  Captain,"  he  continued, 
after  Morris  had  corrected  his  English.  "I  have 
come  up  here  before,  and  we  have  cut  a  way  through." 

"  All  right ;  we  will  see  what  the  bridge  is  made 
of,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  rang  to  back  the  boat. 

She  backed  down  the  stream  about  twenty  rods, 


A   FORMIDABLE   OBSTRUCTION   REMOVED      109 

and  then  he  stopped  her.  He  then  ordered  Clingman 
to  draw  a  piece  of  sailcloth  over  the  stem,  to  prevent 
the  dead  pines  from  scratching  the  paint  on  the  bow. 
As  soon  as  this  was  done,  she  went  ahead  again  at 
full  speed,  and  the  captain  called  to  the  engineer  to 
give  her  all  the  steam  he  could.  She  went  ahead 
at  a  furious  rate,  and  Scott  pointed  her  to  what 
seemed  to  be  the  weakest  place  in  the  barrier. 

"  Now  hold  on,  fellows,  or  she  will  tip  you  over ! " 
shouted  the  captain  as  the  boat  approached  the  ob- 
struction. 

She  struck  the  mass  of  pines,  and  drove  her  bow 
far  into  it,  but  stopped  without  going  through  it. 
The  barrier  was  not  solid,  and  was  held  together  by 
the  entanglement  of  the  bushes  as  they  were  driven 
into  the  nucleus  of  the  mass  by  the  current. 

"We  can't  cut  through  in  that  way,"  said  Scott, 
as  he  looked  at  the  half -sundered  bridge. 

"We  don't  want  to  take  the  back  track,"  added 
Louis. 

"  There  are  more  ways  than  one  to  skin  a  mosquito, 
and  we  haven't  half  tried  yet,"  replied  the  captain. 
"The  thing  is  softer  than  I  supposed,  and  yielded 
when  the  boat  hit  it.  I  could  go  through,  but  it 
would  take  all  the  paint  off  the  sides.  Get  out  the 
anchor,  Clingman,  and  we  will  see  what  can  be  done." 

"I  think  we  shall  stick  fast  enough  without  an- 
choring," said  Morris  with  a  laugh. 

"  Wait  a  few  minutes,  my  hearty ;  for  I  was  not 
thinking  of  coming  to  anchor  just  now,"  answered 


110  FOUR  YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

Scott,  as  he  went  forward  to  the  stem,  and  mounted 
the  rail. 

The  anchor  was  stowed  under  the  forward  seat; 
and  Clingman,  after  overhauling  the  cable,  passed  it 
up  to  the  captain.  It  was  not  very  heavy,  and  with 
a  skilful  toss  he  threw  it  just  over  the  edge  of  the 
barrier  on  the  up-stream  side.  All  wondered  what 
he  was  going  to  do,  for  they  saw  no  way  to  get 
through  by  means  of  the  anchor ;  but  they  were  will- 
ing to  believe  that  the  captain  knew  what  he  was 
about,  and  they  said  nothing. 

"  Now  pay  out  about  fifty  feet  of  cable,"  continued 
Scott,  as  he  rang  the  gong  to  back  her.  "Haul 
steady  on  it  till  you  are  sure  it  is  fast  in  the  stuff, 
Clingman." 

The  seaman  humored  the  cable  till  he  was  unable 
to  haul  the  rope  home,  and  then  reported  the  situa- 
tion. The  boat  continued  to  back  till  the  cable  was 
hauled  taut,  when  he  stopped  her.  Then  he  spoke 
through  the  tube  to  the  engineer,  and  rang  the  gong. 
The  craft  moved  again,  but  very  gently,  for  Scott 
was  afraid  the  anchor  would  not  hold ;  but  it  did,  and 
speaking  through  the  tube,  he  gradually  increased 
the  speed.  The  cable  swayed  and  groaned,  and  it 
was  evident  that  a  heavy  strain  was  upon  it.  The 
barrier  was  shaking  and  quivering  under  the  pres- 
sure, and  it  was  plain  that  something  would  yield 
very  soon. 

"  Hurrah !  "  shouted  Felix,  who  was  looking  over 
the  bow  at  the  bridge  of  pines  ;  and  the  cry  was 


A  FORMIDABLE  OBSTRUCTION   REMOVED      111 

repeated  by  the  rest  of  the  cabin  party,  and  taken  up 
by  the  sailors.  "  Bully  for  you,  Captain  Scott ! 
Upon  me  wurrud,  ye's  have  skinned  the  muskitty ! " 

This  demonstration  was  called  forth  by  the  rupture 
of  the  barrier  in  two  places,  so  that  about  one-half  of 
it  gave  way,  and  was  towed  down  stream  by  the 
steamer.  Scott  kept  the  craft  moving  till  he  found  a 
place  in  the  green  banks  of  the  river  to  leave  the 
tow,  for  it  was  wide  enough  to  obstruct  the  channel. 

"  Clingman  and  Wales,  jump  on  the  raft  with  the 
boathooks,  and  crowd  the  stuff  over  to  the  starboard 
side,"  said  the  captain  when  he  had  found  the  place 
he  wanted. 

He  stopped  the  boat,  and  then  went  ahead,  to  enT 
able  the  men  to  get  upon  the  mass,  after  they  had 
thrown  a  couple  of  boards  upon  it  to  stand  on. 
Backing  her  again,  he  hugged  the  starboard  side  of 
the  stream,  and  drew  the  raft  abreast  of  the  place, 
and  close  to  it,  where  it  was  to  be  left.  The  men  on 
it  hooked  into  the  screw-pines,  and  hauled  it  into  the 
opening.  Pulling  vines  from  the  trees,  they  moored 
it  where  it  was.  As  soon  as  the  two  men  came 
aboard  the  boat,  the  captain  went  ahead  again. 

"  You  did  that  job  handsomely,  Captain  Scott," 
said  Louis.  "I  thought  the  only  way  we  could 
get  through  was  by  cutting  a  passage  for  the  boat." 

"  That  would  have  taken  too  long,"  replied  Scott, 
as  he  called  Clinch  to  the  wheel.  "  Mind  your  eye ! 
for  the  river  is  very  crooked  up  here.  Look  out 
for  the  swing  as  she  goes  around  the  bends." 


112  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

The  boat  had  not  gone  a  great  distance  when  she 
came  to  a  considerable  expanse  of  territory  which 
had  been  swept  over  by  fire.  The  party  did  not 
think  that  the  green  bushes  would  burn;  but  they 
had  burned  so  that  nothing  was  left  of  them  but 
the  blackened  stems,  and  there  was  no  room  for  an 
argument. 

"  When  the  fire  gets  started,  it  scorches  and  dries 
the  bushes  till  they  will  burn,"  Louis  explained. 
"  But  what  are  we  coming  to  now  ? "  he  asked, 
looking  ahead  where  the  country  seemed  to  be  level, 
and  covered  with  a  sheet  of  water,  in  which  the  screw- 
pines  were  abundant. 

"That  must  be  one  of  your  lakes,  Louis,"  added 
the  captain. 

"  If  it  is  mine,  I  will  sell  it  to  you,"  replied 
he. 

"  I  don't  want  to  buy ;  but  I  am  not  so  sure  that 
we  can  get  through  as  shoal  a  place  as  that  seems 
to  be,  for  it  is  only  the  spreading  out  of  the  river. 
The  greater  the  expanse,  the  less  the  depth.  How 
is  that,  Achang  ?  " 

"  Plenty  water ;  float  the  boat,"  answered  the  Bor- 
nean.  "  Little  Padang  Lake.  Plenty  pandanus." 

"  What  are  pandanuses  ?  "  asked  Scott. 

"  The  plural  of  the  word  is  pandanaceae ;  and  they 
are  the  same  thing  as  the  screw-pines,  and  sometimes 
are  found  thirty  feet  high.  There  is  one ;  and  you 
can  see  roots  starting  out  of  the  stem,  and  heading 
downward.  The  leaves  are  very  useful  to  the  na- 


A    FORMIDABLE   OBSTRUCTION   REMOVED      113 

tives.  We  shall  get  tied  in  a  hard  knot  if  we  follow 
the  twists  of  this  stream  much  farther." 

Presently  the  boat  came  to  the  lake.  The  captain 
was  considerably  exercised  about  the  depth  of  water ; 
and  as  they  entered  the  lake,  which  was  not  very 
different  from  the  overflowed  region  they  had  visited 
that  day,  he  ordered  the  wheelman  to  stop  her. 

"  There  must  be  some  sort  of  a  channel  through 
this  pond/7  said  he,  looking  about  him.  "There  is 
a  bigger  lake  than  this  one  farther  up.  There  are 
mountains  in  sight  in  the  distance,  and  the  water 
from  them  must  find  an  outlet  to  the  sea." 

"I  have  no  doubt  you  are  right;  and  probably 
there  is  a  channel  through  this  lake,  for  its  water 
must  get  to  the  sea,  unless  it  dries  up  on  the  way," 
added  Louis. 

"  It  will  be  easier  to  find  this  channel  near  the 
river  than  it  will  when  we  are  half-way  across  the 
lake ; "  and  the  captain  sent  two  men  with  Morris 
in  the  sampan  to  search  for  it. 

The  water  was  tolerably  clear ;  and  they  went  to 
the  mouth  of-  the  outlet,  sounding  all  the  time  with 
the  boathooks.  They  found  the  channel  at  this 
point,  and  then  followed  it  up  beyond  the  steamer. 
Morris  shouted  that  the  sampan  was  in  the  channel, 
and  the  Blanchita  moved  into  it.  The  searching- 
party  returned  to  the  steamer.  Morris  was  the 
mate ;  and,  with  the  two  men  who  had  gone  with 
him,  he  was  directed  to  keep  the  run  of  the  deeper 
water. 


114  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

In  another  half -hour  they  came  to  the  forest  again, 
though  the  trees  were  growing  in  the  shallow  lake. 
Achang  was  hard  at  work  all  the  time,  taking  all  the 
pains  with  his  operation  which  Louis  had  required 
of  him ;  but  his  occupation  did  not  prevent  him  from 
looking  about  him,  and  he  soon  made  a  discovery. 

"  Mias  !  Mias ! "  he  shouted,  pointing  to  a  tall 
tree  a  few  rods  from  the  boat.  "  Mias  fast  asleep  ! " 

All  the  party  looked  in  the  direction  indicated, 
and  saw  the  orang.  He  was  lying  on  his  back  in 
the  crotch  of  the  tree,  holding  on  with  both  hands 
to  the  branches.  He  must  have  been  a  heavy  sleeper 
or  the  puffing  of  the  engine  would  have  aroused  him. 
But  Louis  would  not  fire  at  him,  as  Scott  suggested. 
He  had  a  bigger  orang  than  the  one  in  the  tree,  and 
he  did  not  want  another.  As  he  would  not  fire, 
Felix  refused  to  do  so,  and  the  mias  was  left  to 
finish  his  nap. 

A  little  later  in  the  day  the  boat  came  to  Padang 
Lake;  but  they  were  disappointed  when  they  found 
it  was  filled  with  screw-pines,  though  they  could 
see  open  water,  in  one  direction  quite  a  large  sheet 
of  it.  Following  the  channel,  they  reached  the  open 
space.  The  boat  had  hardly  passed  the  limit  of 
the  screw-pines  before  Clingman  shouted,  "  Fish  ! " 

The  captain  rang  the  gong,  the  boat  stopped,  and 
fishlines  where  in  demand.  The  flesh  of  the  orang 
was  used  for  bait;  and  in  a  few  minutes  Morris 
hauled  up  a  fish  so  large  that  it  taxed  all  his  strength 
and  skill  to  get  him  into  the  boat. 


THE  CAPTAIN'S  ASTOUNDING  PROPOSITION    115 


CHAPTEE  XIII 
THE  CAPTAIN'S  ASTOUNDING  PROPOSITION 

ALL  the  cabin  party  had  their  lines  out,  but  not 
another  fish  was  caught.  The  place  where  they 
fished  seemed  to  be  a  hole,  and  the  water  was  deep 
and  clear.  Perhaps  Morris's  struggle  with  the  big 
fish  had  scared  the  others  away,  for  not  another 
could  be  seen.  The  day  was  done,  and  it  was  grow- 
ing dark.  It  was  decided  to  anchor  where  they  were, 
and  spend  the  night  there ;  and  they  hoped  the  fish 
would  be  in  biting  condition  the  next  morning. 

Achang  called  the  fish  the  gourami,  or  something 
like  that ;  but  beyond  this  nothing  was  known  about 
him.  Louis,  who  was  generally  posted,  could  tell  his 
companions  nothing  about  it.  But  Pitts  had  cut  it 
up,  and  it  was  fried  for  supper.  The  flesh  was  hard, 
and  the  flavor  excellent.  There  was  enough  of  it 
for  all  hands,  and  the  supper  amounted  to  a  feast. 
A  heavy  thunder-shower  made  the  evening  very 
gloomy ;  but  the  canvas  roof  and  curtains  of  the 
Blanchita  fully  protected  the  party  from  the  rain, 
which  fell  in  sheets  for  full  two  hours. 

The  next  morning  when  the  party  turned  out, 
the  weather  was  as  pleasant  as  they  could  desire, 
and  the  air  was  cleared  and  freshened  by  the  shower. 


116  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

The  first  thing  they  did  was  to  throw  over  their 
lines ;  for  they  could  see  the  fish  through  the  clear 
water  of  the  lake.  In  about  as  many  minutes  they 
had  hooked  four  fish,  though  not  one  of  them  was 
so  large  as  the  one  Morris  had  caught  the  evening 
before.  But  at  that  point  they  ceased  to  bite,  and 
not  another  nibble  was  had.  Either  the  fish  did  not 
like  the  looks  of  the  boat,  handsome  as  she  was, 
which  would  have  been  very  bad  taste  on  their  part, 
or  the  struggles  of  those  which  had  been  hauled  in 
frightened  them  away.  Very  likely  the  fish  could 
have  explained  the  reason  for  their  sudden  disappear- 
ance ;  but  they  did  not,  and  it  remained  a  mystery. 

They  had  an  ice-chest  on  board,  and  Mr.  Eng  had 
replenished  it  at  Simujan.  Pitts  dressed  the  fish, 
and  put  them  in  the  refrigerator.  For  breakfast 
they  had  fresh  pork,  and  it  was  much  better  than 
that  they  had  had  before.  They  had  learned  to 
drink  coffee  without  milk,  for  it  was  not  often  that 
it  could  be  procured  away  from  the  larger  towns. 

"  I  say,  fellows,  don't  you  think  there  can  be  too 
much  of  a  good  thing  ?  "  asked  Captain  Scott  at  the 
head  of  the  table. 

"  Of  course  there  can  be  too  much  of  a  good  thing ; 
for  a  fellow  might  eat  ice-cream  till  his  throat  was 
frozen,"  replied  Felix. 

"Almost  anything  becomes  a  bad  thing  when  you 
have  too  much  of  it,"  added  Louis.  "  But  I  think 
we  could  have  stood  about  four  more  of  those  nice 
fish.  What  is  the  moral  of  all  this,  Captain  ? " 


THE  CAPTAIN'S  ASTOUNDING  PROPOSITION    117 

"With  me  the  moral  is  that  I  have  had  hunting 
enough  for  the  present,"  replied  Scott.  "  I  should 
like  a  little  more  variety  in  our  daily  life." 

"  I  don't  think  I  should  care  to  go  hunting  more 
than  one  day  in  a  week,  or,  at  most,  two/7  replied 
Louis.  "  We  have  had  it  right  along  for  a  week ; 
and,  as  you  suggest,  that's  too  much  of  a  good 
thing." 

"  But  it  was  you,  Louis,  who  went  in  for  three 
weeks  of  it,"  added  the  captain. 

"  Simply  because  I  thought  it  would  take  the 
Guardian-Mother  and  the  Blanche  about  that  time 
to  visit  Siam  and  French  Cochin-China." 

"  I  suppose  if  we  had  made  our  trip  up  these  rivers 
in  a  sampan,  we  should  not  have  got  so  far  inland  in 
another  week,"  added  Morris. 

"  I  don't  think  we  should  have  come  up  here  at  all 
if  the  Blanchita  had  not  been  available,"  said  Louis. 
"  But  we  are  close  to  the  mountains  now,  and  I  am 
in  favor  of  a  tramp  on  shore." 

"  All  right-;  and  after  breakfast  we  will  get  under 
way,  for  I  must  attend  to  the  navigation,"  replied 
Scott ;  "  and  I  suppose  Felipe  has  steam  enough  by 
this  time." 

They  left  the  table,  and  Scott  went  to  the  wheel. 
To  save  time  and  trouble,  the  men  took  their  meals 
in  the  after  cabin,  and  the  engineer  had  the  head  of 
the  table.  Both  Louis  and  Felix  had  run  the  engine 
of  the  Maud  a  portion  of  the  time  on  her  memorable 
voyage  from  Funchal  to  Gibraltar,  and  the  former 


118  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

was  sent  to  the  engine-room.  The  boat  went  ahead ; 
and  after  passing  through  a  section  of  pandanus,  they 
came  to  an  open  lake,  which  they  judged  to  be  five 
miles  long. 

The  water  was  shallow,  though  deep  enough  for 
the  steamer.  The  captain  opened  the  binnacle,  and 
headed  the  Blanchita  to  the  north.  It  was  a  very 
quiet  time,  and  the  boat  went  along  at  her  usual 
speed.  In  little  less  than  half  an  hour  she  reached 
the  head  of  the  lake;  but  there  was  no  convenient 
landing-place  for  a  craft  of  her  draught,  and  she 
was  anchored  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the 
shore.  Achang  and  two  of  the  seamen  were  di- 
rected to  attend  the  "Big  Four,"  and  they  were 
landed  in  the  sampan. 

Each  of  the  cabin  party  took  his  fowling-piece, 
while  Achang  had  a  rifle,  and  each  of  the  sailors 
carried  one,  the  latter  to  be  used  by  the  young  men 
if  they  were  wanted.  They  had  walked  but  a  short 
distance  before  they  came  to  a  steep  precipice  about 
twenty  feet  high,  at  which  a  notched  log  had  been 
placed  by  some  former  visitors,  as  they  supposed ; 
but  as  soon  as  they  had  mounted  it,  they  came  upon 
a  Dyak  long-house,  which  might  have  been  better 
called  a  short-house,  for  it  contained  but  six  doors, 
and  therefore  the  tax  upon  the  village  need  not 
have  caused  any  grumbling. 

The  dwelling  was  not  now  a  novelty,  neither  were 
the  Dyak  men  and  maidens ;  for  the  latter  were  not 
as  pretty  as  several  they  had  seen  on  the  river. 


THE  CAPTAIN'S  ASTOUNDING  PKOPOSITION    119 

They  were  very  hospitable,  and  invited  the  party  to 
enter  the  house,  which  they  did  ;  but  there  was  little 
to  interest  them  there.  Achang  talked  with  them, 
and  the  head  man  said  they  caught  plenty  of  fish  in 
the  lake,  and  they  snared  pigs,  deer,  monkeys,  and 
other  game.  He  engaged  a  couple  of  guides  for  the 
mountains. 

The  game  was  plentiful,  and  the  hunters  shot  sev- 
eral deer,  a  pig,  and  a  Malay  bear ;  but  they  were  not 
enthusiastic  hunters,  considering  that  they  had  come 
to  Borneo  for  that  purpose.  After  a  four  hours' 
tramp  they  all  thought  they  had  had  enough  of  it. 
Felix  declared  that  he  preferred  to  hunt  cobras  and 
tigers,  for  all  the  game  seemed  to  be  very  tame  to 
him.  Seating  themselves  on  the  ground,  they  rested 
for  an  hour,  and  then  started  on  their  return  to  the 
boat.  All  the  game  was  given  to  the  Dyak  guides, 
who  were  very  glad  to  get  it.  They  swung  it  on  a 
pole,  and  trotted  along  with  their  load  as  though  it 
had  been  no  burden  at  all. 

"  They  dojhat  all  day,"  said  Achang.  "  Never  get 
tired." 

"  They  have  load  enough  to  feed  the  village  for  a 
week,"  added  the  captain.  "  I  should  not  care  for  the 
fun  of  feeding  them  another  week,  for  I  find  hunting 
here  very  tame  business." 

"My  sintimints  also,"  added  Felix. 

After  a  walk  of  another  hour  they  reached  the 
Dyak  house,  and  the  whole  population  of  the  place 
followed  them  to  the  shore.  They  were  filled  with 


120  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

wonder  and  admiration  at  the  sight  of  the  Blanchita, 
and  went  off  to  her  in  their  sampans.  They  were 
permitted  to  go  on  board  ;  but  when  Felipe  fed  the 
fire  in  the  furnace,  and  the  steam  began  to  hiss,  some 
of  them  were  frightened,  and  fled  to  their  boats. 

Dinner  was  all  ready  when  the  party  went  on 
board;  and  Achang  was  instructed  to  send  off  the 
guests,  for  the  boat  was  to  get  under  way  at  once. 
They  got  into  their  sampans ;  but  they  remained  near 
the  Blanchita,  evidently  desirous  to  see  her  sail. 
They  had  not  to  wait  Jong,  for  the  anchor  was 
weighed,  and  the  captain  rang  the  gong.  She  went 
off  at  her  usual  speed,  and  the  Dyaks  expressed  their 
astonishment  in  various  ways. 

"Dinner  all  ready,  gentlemen,"  said  Pitts  as  soon 
as  the  steamer  was  well  under  way. 

"  What  have  you  for  dinner,  Pitts  ?  "  asked  the 
captain. 

"  Baked  fish,  Captain,  in  two  pieces ;  for  he  was 
too  long  to  go  into  my  oven,"  replied  the  cook. 

"All  right.  Take  the  wheel,  Clingman,  and  make 
the  course  due  south." 

"Due  south,  sir,"  repeated  the  wheelman. 

The  party  hastened  to  the  after  cabin;  for  they 
were  hungry  after  their  long  tramp,  though  they  had 
taken  a  light  lunch  with  them.  The  fish,  "  in  two 
pieces,"  was  placed  before  the  captain ;  while  Pitts 
stood  by  his  side,  ready  to  pass  the  plates,  and  hear 
any  comments  the  captain  might  make  on  the  prin- 
cipal viand. 


THE  CAPTAIN'S  ASTOUNDING  PROPOSITION    121 

The  odor  from  the  steaming  fish  was  emphatically 
agreeable  to  the  hungry  hunters,  and  so  was  the  soft 
divan  to  their  tired  legs.  Scott  helped  the  members 
of  the  party  to  liberal  portions  of  the  dainty  dish, 
and  without  pausing  for  manners  they  began  to 
partake.  When  the  captain  had  tasted  the  fish,  he 
stopped  short,  and  looked  at  Pitts.  Then  he  reached 
out  his  right  hand  to  him. 

"  Your  hand,  Pitts  ! "  and  the  cook  took  it,  his  face 
wreathed  in  smiles.  "  You  have  cooked  a  dish  here, 
Pitts,  which  is  fit  for  any  king  on  the  continent  of 
Europe,  to  say  nothing  of  Asia." 

The  rest  of  the  party  applauded  vigorously,  and 
every  one  of  them,  following  the  example  of  the 
captain,  took  the  cook  by  the  hand,  and  bestowed 
additional  praise  upon  him  ;  and  Louis  declared  that 
he  could  not  have  done  better  if  he  had  served  his 
time  as  a  cuisinier  in  the  Grand  Hotel  in  Paris. 
But  the  most  telling  tribute  to  the  skill  of  the  cook 
was  in  the  amount  consumed;  and  the  captain  ex- 
pressed a  fear  that  the  engineer  and  five  seamen 
would  have  to  "kiss  the  cook." 

"  It  is  only  a  woman  cook  that  gets  served  in  that 
way,  and  then  not  unless  she  is  good  looking,"  re- 
plied Pitts,  laughing.  "  But  you  need  have  no  fear, 
Captain,  and  the  second  table  will  have  no  occasion 
to  kiss  the  cook,  even  it  were  one  of  the  pretty  girls 
we  saw  at  the  long-house  below ;  for  I  have  another 
fish  in  the  oven,  and  it  will  be  done  by  the  time  they 
are  ready  for  it." 


122  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  That's  right,  Pitts ;  look  out  for  the  men  as  well 
as  you  do  for  the  rest  of  us/7  added  the  captain. 
"  Now,  fellows,  I  am  going  to  the  wheel ;  and  I  want 
to  see  all  of  you  in  the  fore  cabin,  for  I  have  some- 
thing to  say,  and  we  may  have  occasion  to  vote." 

"  Vote  on  what,  Captain  ?  "  inquired  Felix. 

"There  is  no  motion  before  the  house,  Flix;  and 
when  morning  comes  the  sun  will  rise,  not  before," 
replied  Captain  Scott. 

As  soon  as  a  plum-pudding  had  been  disposed  of, 
the  party  hastened  to  the  fore  cabin ;  for  their  cu- 
riosity had  been  excited  by  what  had  been  said.  The 
captain  took  the  wheel ;  and  Louis  went  to  the  engine, 
though  he  could  hear  what  was  said  while  near 
enough  to  the  levers  to  act  in  case  of  need.  Scott 
had  brought  from  his  berth  in  the  after  cabin  a  blue- 
colored  roll,  which  all  understood  was  a  chart,  though 
of  what  sea  they  did  not  know. 

"Now,  fellows,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
we  are  all  tired  of  paddling  about  the  muddy  rivers 
of  Borneo,"  the  captain  began,  after  he  had  scrutin- 
ized the  compass  in  the  binnacle.  "  I  have  said  so 
before ;  though  I  have  not  enlarged  on  the  subject,  or 
spoken  half  as  strongly  as  I  might.  The  rest  of  you 
may  not  take  my  view  of  the  situation ;  but  I  do  not 
ask  you  to  do  so,  and  I  hope  you  will  all  speak  out 
just  what  you  think,  as  I  have  done,  and  shall  do 
stronger  than  before.  We  want  something  that  is 
not  quite  so  tame  as  shooting  pigs  and  crocodiles  at 
thirty-six  cents  a  foot." 


THE  CAPTAIN'S  ASTOUNDING  PROPOSITION    123 

"  I  am  quite  of  your  opinion,  Captain,"  added 
Morris.  "I  don't  think  there  is  any  more  fun  in 
shooting  orangs,  for  we  are  not  naturalists  nor  scien- 
tists of  any  sort.  If  we  had  brought  a  naturalist 
with  us,  we  should  have  done  better.77 

"  I  have  had  enough  of  it  for  the  present ;  but 
we  have  two  weeks  yet  before  the  ship  will  come  to 
Kuching  for  us,  and  what  are  we  to  do  during  that 
time  ? "  said  Louis,  walking  a  little  nearer  to  the 
wheel. 

"  That  is  precisely  the  conundrum  I  intend  to  guess 
on  the  present  occasion,  and  for  which  I  have  called 
this  meeting  without  consulting  Mr.  Belgrave,"  replied 
Captain  Scott,  giving  the  wheel  to  Morris,  with  the 
course,  and  unfolding  the  blue  roll.  "  The  Guardian- 
Mother  will  go  to  Saigon  before  she  comes  back  to 
Sarawak.  That  is  about  a  two  days7  run  for  her. 
From  Sarawak,  or  the  mouth  of  the  river,  the  dis- 
tance is  five  hundred  sea  miles.  Now,  to  flash  it  on 
you  all  at  once,  I  propose  to  sail  in  the  Blanchita  to 
Point  Cambodia,  where  the  ship  will  pick  us  up  as 
she  comes  down  the  Gulf  of  Siam.  Now  I  am  ready 
to  hear  you  all  groan.77 

"It  looks  like  a  risky  voyage  in  such  a  craft  as 
this  steam-launch,77  said  Louis,  when  there  was  a 
prolonged  silence. 

"  I  wish  you  all  to  look  over  the  chart  of  the 
China  Sea ;  this  meeting  is  adjourned  to  the  after 
cabin  at  four  o7clock,  and  you  may  do  your  groan- 
ing there." 


124  FOUR  YOUNG  FXPLORERS 

The  men  soon  came  out  of  the  after  cabin,  and 
Pitts  was  busy  removing  the  dishes  and  putting 
everything  in  order.  At  the  time  stated,  the  party 
were  seated  around  the  table  in  the  after  cabin,  ready 
to  consider  the  captain's  astounding  proposition. 


DOWN  THE  SIMUJAN  AND  UP  THE  SAKAWAK     125 


CHAPTEE   XIV 

DOWN    THE    SIMUJAN    AND    UP    THE    SARAWAK 

THE  proposition  of  Captain  Scott  was  certainly  an 
astounding  one,  not  unlike  the  daring  of  those  men 
who  have  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  a  dory  or  in  small 
sailboats ;  and  so  it  struck  the  other  members  of  the 
cabin  party.  Scott  was  not  a  reckless  navigator ;  and 
his  companions  had  voyaged  with  him  on  stormy  seas 
several  times  in  the  Maud,  though  she  was  a  better 
sea-going  craft  than  the  Blanchita.  She  was  decked 
over  her  entire  length,  so  that  she  could  be  closed  as 
tight  as  the  inside  of  a  barrel,  while  the  steam- 
launch  was  an  open  boat. 

Scott  did  not  regard  the  venture  as  an  extremely 
perilous  one,  though  he  would  not  have  thought  of 
such  a  thing  as  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  a  craft  like 
the  Blanchita,  principally  because  she  could  not 
carry  coal  enough  to  render  the  trip  a  prudent  risk. 
The  distance  from  land  to  land  was  about  five  hun- 
dred miles,  and  the  little  steamer  could  easily  make 
this  distance  inside  of  three  days.  But  the  captain 
must  speak  for  himself. 

"Now,  fellows,  you  can  study  the  chart  for  your- 
selves," said  he,  as  he  put  the  point  of  his  pencil  on 
the  mouth  of  the  Sarawak  Eiver.  "  If  the  Blanchita 


126  FOUR    YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

were  a  sailing-craft  instead  of  a  steamer,  I  should 
not  have  a  moment's  hesitation ;  for  though  she  is 
not  heavy  and  clumsy,  she  is  very  strongly  built.  I 
have  looked  her  over  several  times,  with  this  trip  in 
my  head." 

"  But  she  can  be  rigged  as  a  sailing-craft,  and  has 
a  short  mast  and  a  sail,"  interposed  Morris.  "I 
talked  with  the  rajah  about  her,  and  he  told  me  that 
he  had  been  out  to  sea  in  her.  He  said  he  had  never 
had  occasion  to  use  the  sail,  but  he  carried  it  in  case 
anything  should  happen  to  the  engine." 

"That  betters  the  situation  very  materially,"  re- 
plied the  captain.  "  If  we  have  anything  to  depend 
upon  if  the  engine  should  break  down  or  the  coal 
should  give  out  we  should  be  all  right." 

"  There  must  be  heavy  seas  out  in  the  China  Sea," 
added  Louis,  as  he  looked  over  the  chart. 

"  We  haven't  seen  any  very  heavy  seas  in  any  of 
these  waters.  The  south-west  monsoons  prevail  at 
this  season  of  the  year  in  these  waters.  I  don't  find 
any  decided  ocean  current  laid  down  on  the  charts  of 
the  southern  and  western  portions  of  the  China  Sea. 
They  strike  in  at  the  eastward  of  Java,  and  flow 
to  the  eastward  of  Borneo,  through  the  Macassar 
Strait,"  said  Scott,  pointing  out  the  direction  on  the 
chart. 

"  That  looks  favorable ;  and  if  there  is  any  current 
to  speak  of,  it  runs  in  the  direction  of  the  monsoons, 
and  therefore  will  not  be  likely  to  cause  heavy 
winds." 


DOWN  THE  SIMUJAN  AND  UP  THE  SARAWAK     127 

"  If  I  thought  the  trip  was  a  very  dangerous  one,  I 
certainly  should  not  propose  to  make  it,"  added  the 
captain. 

"  Fish  ! "  shouted  Clingman  at  the  wheel. 

In  spite  of  their  interest  in  the  discussion,  all  the 
party  rushed  forward  at  this  cry.  The  captain  or- 
dered the  wheelman  to  stop  her,  though  her  headway 
kept  her  moving  for  some  minutes  after  the  screw 
ceased  to  revolve.  The  men  baited  the  hooks  as  soon 
as  fish  were  indicated.  The  boat  had  reached  the 
locality  where  the  catch  of  the  day  before  had  been 
obtained,  and  all  hands  were  on  the  lookout.  The 
lines  were  thrown  over,  and  the  fish  bit  quickly  as 
soon  as  the  steamer  was  at  rest.  In  half  an  hour 
they  had  taken  seven. 

"  Keep  her  moving,  Clingman,"  said  Captain  Scott, 
as  the  party  hurried  back  to  the  cabin  to  continue 
the  discussion. 

Pitts  dressed  the  fish,  and  put  them  in  the  ice- 
chest.  Achang  had  completed  the  skinning  of  the 
orang,  and  the  skin  was  now  drying  in  the  sun. 
The  voyage  to  Siam  or  Cambodia  looked  very  much 
like  an  adventure,  and  the  young  men  were  deeply 
interested  in  it. 

"I  don't  think  we  are  likely  to  encounter  any 
very  heavy  weather  in  the  western  part  of  the  China 
Sea,"  said  Captain  Scott,  as  he  put  his  pencil  on 
the  chart  again.  "We  may  be  overhauled  by  a 
typhoon." 

"And   what   is   a  typhoon?"   asked    Felix.      "I 


128  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

know  it  is  some  sort  of  a  storm,  and  that  is  all 
I  do  know." 

"There  are  different  names  for  a  storm  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  earth,"  replied  Scott.  "What  is 
a  hurricane  in  the  West  Indies  is  a  cyclone  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  a  typhoon 
in  the  China  Sea.  They  are  all  alike  in  substance, 
being  revolving  storms,  in  which  the  wind  whirls 
around  in  a  circle,  and  at  the  same  time  has  a 
forward  movement  as  a  whole  towards  some  point 
of  the  compass.  But  there  are  various  signs  which 
indicate  the  approach  of  a  typhoon  or  a  hurricane; 
and  in  these  seas  the  barometer  has  to  be  watched 
constantly." 

"  I  suppose  we  should  be  out  of  sight  of  land  about 
all  the  time  on  the  passage,"  suggested  Morris. 

"  Not  at  all,  my  lad ;  for  the  first  two  hundred 
miles  of  the  course  we  should  not  be  out  of  sight 
of  land  half  of  the  time,  or  only  for  a  few  hours 
at  a  time.  Now  look  at  the  chart,  all  of  you. 
Here  we  are  at  the  mouth  of  the  Sarawak  River. 
About  a  hundred  miles  west  of  that  is  Cape  Datu, 
the  most  western  point  of  Borneo.  Then  for  two 
hundred  miles  there  is  a  chain  of  islands  extend- 
ing to  the  north-west,  which  is  our  course.  These 
are  the  Natuna  Islands ;  the  largest  one  takes  the 
same  name,  and  is  forty  miles  long.  There  are 
several  other  small  islands  north  of  this  one,  and 
if  the  weather  came  on  very  bad  we  could  make 
a  lee  under  one  of  them." 


DOWN  THE  SIMUJAN  AND  UP  THE  SARAWAK      129 

"  Channel,  sir  ! "  shouted  Clingman. 

"I  think  you  have  got  an  idea  of  the  whole 
thing,  and  we  have  a  couple  of  days  to  think  of 
it,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  rose  from  his  seat.  "I 
will  leave  the  chart  here,  and  you  can  all  study  it." 

Scott  went  forward  to  the  wheel.  He  had  caused 
a  red  rag  to  be  tied  to  the  top  of  a  screw-pine 
while  the  sampan  was  looking  for  a  channel  through 
the  lake,  and  Clingman  had  stopped  the  boat  abreast 
of  it.  The  captain  took  the  helm  himself  j  and  he 
had  carefully  observed  various  marks,  and  obtained 
the  bearings  of  the  mountain,  and  other  prominent 
objects  which  might  assist  him  in  taking  the  steamer 
through  the  shallow  lake.  He  started  her  at  once, 
and  rang  the  speed-bell  confidently,  as  though  he 
had  been  through  the  lake  a  dozen  times  before. 

It  was  sunset  when  the  boat  entered  the  narrow 
river,  and  they  were  called  to  supper.  Clinch  was 
placed  at  the  wheel.  It  was  a  good  moon,  and  the 
boat  continued  on  her  course  till  she  came  to  the 
Dyak  village., where  they  had  visited  the  long-house. 
She  had  been  seen  or  heard  as  she  approached; 
and  the  whole  village  was  on  the  shore,  including 
Mr.  Eng. 

"We  are  not  going  to  lie  up  to-night,"  said  Cap- 
tain Scott  when  asked  to  land.  "We  are  somewhat 
in  a  hurry  to  get  back  to  Kuching,  and  we  shall 
run  down  to  Simujan  this  evening." 

"I  am  going  in  the  morning,  Captain,"  added 
the  agent. 


130  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"I  will  tow  you  down,  and  you  can  sleep  on 
board  if  you  wish." 

"  Thank  you ;  my  men  will  come  down  with  the 
sampans  to-morrow,  and  I  gladly  accept  your  offer," 
replied  Mr.  Eng.  "  But  I  must  first  go  over  to 
the  pangah" 

"To  what?  Will  it  take  long?"  inquired  the 
captain. 

"The  pangah,  or  head-house  of  the  village.  I 
left  my  portmanteau  there,  and  must  get  it." 

"  The  head-house  !  May  we  go  with  you  ?  for 
we  did  not  stop  to  look  at  it  when  we  were  here 
before." 

"  Certainly  you  may  go  with  me ;  I  will  have 
some  torches  so  that  you  can  see  it  as  well  as  in  the 
daytime,"  replied  the  agent,  as  he  started  with  the 
cabin  party,  attended  by  four  Dyaks  who  had  come 
to  the  river  with  torches.  "No  head-hunting  has 
been  done  for  many  years,  as  you  are  aware,  and 
not  many  heads  are  on  exhibition.  In  some  villages 
you  will  find  them  by  the  hundred,  though  the  people 
here  were  never  much  given  to  the  barbarous  prac- 
tice. It  was  not  necessary  in  this  part  of  the  island 
that  a  young  man  should  get  a  head  before  a  girl 
would  accept  him  as  her  husband.  Here  it  is." 

It  was  a  circular  building  not  far  from  fifty  feet 
in  diameter,  with  a  conical  roof.  In  the  centre  was 
a  place  for  a  fire,  which  was  perhaps  required  in 
cleaning  the  abominable  trophies  of  war  or  individual 
murders.  All  around  the  apartment  was  a  sort  of 


DOWN  THE  SIMUJAN  AND  UP  THE  SARAWAK     131 

divan,  or  bench,  while  over  it  were  hung  up  the 
skulls,  all  nicely  cleaned  in  the  first  instance,  but 
now  darkened  by  the  smoke. 

"This  is  the  public  building  of  the  village,  and 
the  council  when  it  meets  has  its  place  here  for  de- 
liberation and  action,"  said  Mr.  Eng,  when  he  had 
pointed  out  what  was  to  be  seen  in  the  building. 

"Bather  a  sombre  place,  I  should  say,  for  such  a 
purpose,"  suggested  Louis. 

"  When  you  got  used  to  the  skulls  you  would  not 
mind  them  any  more  than  you  would  any  other  dry 
bones,"  laughed  the  agent.  "  I  slept  here  last  night, 
and  the  young  men  and  boys  lodge  here.  If  you 
were  to  remain  over  night,  young  gentlemen,  you 
would  be  quartered  here ;  for  it  is  the  home  of  the 
stranger  who  visits  the  village." 

"Then,  I  should  be  very  thankful  that  we  had  a 
cabin  in  our  steamer,"  replied  Louis.  "But  there 
is  no  accounting  for  tastes." 

The  agent  gave  his  baggage  to  a  Dyak,  and  the 
party  returned  to  the  boat.  A  bed  in  the  cabin  was 
prepared  for  Mr.  Eng,  who  said  he  was  very  tired, 
for  he  had  walked  a  great  distance  that  day,  and  he 
retired  at  once.  The  captain  took  the  first  watch, 
with  two  of  the  men.  It  was  plain  sailing,  and  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  the  Blanchita  was  anchored 
in  the  river  in  front  of  the  kampon.  Scott  turned 
in  then,  with  one  of  the  port  watch  on  duty. 

In  the  morning  they  could  not  be  induced  to  ac- 
cept Mr.  Eng's  pressing  invitation  to  remain  a  day 


132  FOUR  YTJONG  EXPLORERS 

or  two  at  Simujan.  He  promised  to  take  them  to 
the  coal  and  gold  mine  if  they  would  remain;  but 
all  of  them  were  so  full  of  the  great  project  that 
the  invitation  was  declined.  Three  of  the  fish  were 
presented  to  the  agent,  who  told  them  something 
about  it,  and  declared  that  it  was  the  finest  fish  on 
the  island. 

A  quantity  of  ice  was  obtained  at  the  town ;  and 
Pitts  carefully  packed  the  rest  of  the  fish,  which 
were  still  hard  and  in  nice  condition.  The  captain 
desired  to  present  a  couple  of  them  to  Eajah  Brooke, 
and  some  of  the  others  to  officers  who  had  been 
very  kind  to  them,  and  had  assisted  them  in  many 
ways.  In  the  early  morning  they  bade  a  grateful 
adieu  to  the  agent,  and  departed  on  the  trip  to 
Kuching. 

The  tide  was  going  out,  and  they  made  a  quick 
passage  to  the  sea.  On  their  arrival  there  they 
found  a  stiff  south-west  wind  blowing,  and  the  bay 
covered  with  white-caps.  They  had  not  tried  the 
Blanchita  in  anything  like  a  heavy  sea,  though  the 
rajah  had  declared  that  she  was  a  very  able  and 
weatherly  sea-boat.  Captain  Scott  was  very  glad  of 
the  opportunity  to  test  her  behavior  in  rough  weather. 
He  went  to  the  helm  himself  as  the  boat  came  out  of 
the  Sadong.  The  very  first  wave  that  broke  on  her 
bow  scattered  the  spray  from  stem  to  stern. 

Scott  ordered  the  men  to  batten  down  the  curtains 
on  the  weather  side.  But  the  boat  rose  gracefully 
on  the  billows,  and  did  not  scoop  up  any  water  in 


THE    BOAT    ROSE    GRACEFULLY    OX    THE    BILLOWS. 

Page  132. 


DOWN  THE  SIMUJAN  AND  UP  THE  SAKAWAK     133 

doing  so.  Boxes,  barrels,  and  other  movable  articles 
were  secured,  and  the  captain  was  delighted  with 
the  working  of  the  boat. 

"I  don't  want  any  better  sea-boat  than  the  Blan- 
chita," said  he  with  great  enthusiasm.  "  I  doubt  if 
we  get  it  any  rougher  than  this  on  the  voyage  to 
Cambodia  Point." 

"  Unless  we  run  into  a  typhoon,"  said  Morris,  who 
was  observing  the  conduct  of  the  boat  with  quite  as 
much  interest  as  his  superior  officer. 

"We  won't  run  into  a  typhoon,"  replied  the  cap- 
tain. 

"  How  can  you  help  yourself  ?  As  sailors  we 
must  take  things  as  they  come." 

"If  navigators  have  a  thousand  miles  or  more  of 
ocean  ahead  of  them,  they  must  face  the  music. 
But  among  these  islands,  if  the  weather  looks  ty- 
phoony,  we  can  get  under  a  lee,  or  make  a  harbor 
in  some  bay.  But  don't  try  to  cross  the  bridge  till 
we  get  to  it,  Morris." 

"  Sail,  ho  ! "  shouted  Clingman. 

It  was  a  steamer  about  as  far  off  as  she  could  be 
made  out.  The  two  craft  were  approaching  each 
other,  and  the  steamer  from  the  west  went  into  the 
Sarawak  ahead  of  the  Blanchita.  She  was  a  small 
vessel,  apparently  of  not  more  than  three  hundred 
tons.  It  soon  became  evident  that  she  was  not  a  fast 
sailer,  for  the  Blanchita  held  her  own  with  her  all 
the  way  up  the  river  to  Kuching. 


134  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER  XV 

ON   THE    VOYAGE    TO    POINT    CAMBODIA 

THE  Blanchita  moored  as  usual  in  front  of  the 
town,  while  the  steamer  anchored  in  the  river.  She 
proved  to  be  the  Delhi,  from  Calcutta;  and  it  was 
ascertained  when  the  party  went  on  shore  later,  that 
she  was  to  sail  for  Saigon  the  next  day.  The  first 
care  of  the  cabin  party  was  to  send  the  fish  to  Rajah 
Brooke  and  two  officers  whose  acquaintance  they  had 
made. 

Pitts  overhauled  the  ice-chest,  and  found  them  in 
excellent  condition ;  and  Achang  was  appointed  to  be 
the  bearer  of  them,  with  the  compliments  of  the 
Americans,  to  the  gentlemen  who  were  to  receive 
them.  Two  native  porters  were  to  carry  them ;  and 
the  party  knew  that  the  fish  were  a  rarity  in  the 
town,  and  they  were  in  season  for  the  dinner  of  that 
day. 

The  four  went  on  shore  together  just  as  a  party 
from  the  Delhi  landed  with  a  boat.  The  captain  of 
the  steamer  hailed  them  in  the  street  in  front  of  the 
government  house,  and  asked  if  they  belonged  to  the 
steam-launch  which  had  just  come  up  the  river. 
He  was  curious  to  know  something  more  about  the 
explorers,  and  Captain  Scott  told  him  what  they  had 


ON   THE   VOYAGE   TO   POINT   CAMBODIA        135 

been  doing  in  the  island.  He  was  invited  on  board 
of  the  Blanchita,  and  was  much  interested  in  the 
young  men. 

They  showed  him  over  the  boat;  and  he  was 
greatly  pleased  with  the  craft,  and  with  the  excellent 
accommodations  for  sleeping,  eating,  and  making  the 
voyagers  generally  comfortable.  They  came  to  the 
ice-chest,  in  which  two  of  the  choice  fish  still  re- 
mained; and  Scott  presented  one  of  them  to  their 
guest. 

"We  intend  to  sail  for  Point  Cambodia  to-mor- 
row to  rejoin  our  ship,"  said  the  captain  of  the  Blan- 
chita, after  the  fish  had  been  sent  on  board. 

"In  this  little  tub  of  yours?"  asked  the  com- 
mander of  the  Delhi  with  a  smile  of  incredulity. 

"Is  this  part  of  the  China  Sea  subject  to  violent 
seas  ?  " 

"Not  at  just  this  season  of  the  year.  With  the 
south-west  monsoons  smart  squalls  come  up  some- 
times, but  they  are  not  very  bad.  I  don't  think  you 
will  find  it  any  rougher  than  we  had  it  outside  the 
river  to-day  on  your  passage  to  the  Point,"  replied 
Captain  Rayburn,  who  stated  then  that  he  had  seen 
the  Guardian-Mother  when  she  was  at  Calcutta. 

"You  are  bound  to  Saigon,  I  think  you  said." 

"To  Saigon,  but  a  portion  of  my  cargo  goes  to 
Kampot.  If  I  found  a  sailing-vessel  here  that  was 
going  up  the  Gulf  of  Siam,  I  was  ordered  to  reship 
my  freight  for  Kampot  in  her ;  if  not,  I  was  to  take 
it  there  in  the  Delhi.  I  find  no  such  vessel  here." 


136  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  Then  you  will  make  your  course  direct  for  Point 
Cambodia,  Captain  Kayburn  ?  "  said  Scott. 

"Precisely  so;  and  if  you  can  keep  up  with  my 
steamer,  we  need  not  part  company  on  the  voyage." 

"I  think  we  can  keep  up  with  you,"  replied  the 
captain  of  the  Blanchita  with  a  smile. 

The  party  went  on  shore  again,  and  arrangements 
were  made  for  taking  in  a  supply  of  coal  early  the 
next  morning.  Everything  on  board  of  the  yacht 
had  been  stowed  very  carefully  on  the  passage  from 
Simujan,  in  order  to  make  all  the  room  possible  for 
coal;  but  the  boat  could  carry  a  supply  for  four 
days,  and  Scott  was  not  at  all  afraid  that  he  should 
come  short  of  this  needed  article.  Pitts  purchased 
all  the  provisions  and  stores  needed  for  the  voyage. 

After  dinner  the  four  paid  their  respects  to  the 
rajah,  and  visited  the  two  officers  whose  acquaintance 
they  had  made.  They  were  heartily  thanked  for  the 
welcome  gift  of  the  fish,  which  the  officers  declared 
were  a  great  luxury ;  and  Governor  Brooke  said  that 
he  should  make  a  trip  to  the  lake  where  they  were 
caught,  in  the  government  steam-yacht.  These 
gentlemen  thought  the  young  men  were  rather  ven- 
turesome to  undertake  the  voyage  before  them  in  so 
small  a  craft;  but  the  best  wishes  of  all  of  them 
went  with  the  party. 

At  daylight  in  the  morning  the  coaling  was  begun ; 
the  provisions  and  stores  were  all  looked  over,  and 
all  deficiencies  were  supplied.  By  nine  o'clock  every- 
thing was  in  readiness  for  sailing.  Captain  Kayburn 


ON   THE   VOYAGE  TO   POINT   CAMBODIA        137 

sent  word  that  the  Delhi  would  sail  at  ten  o'clock, 
and  afterwards  went  on  board  of  the  Blanchita. 

"You  seem  to  be  well  supplied  with  coal,"  said 
he,  as  he  looked  about  him. 

"I  think  we  have  a  five-days'  supply  on  board," 
replied  Scott.  "  As  I  figure  it  up,  we  shall  make  the 
run  to  the  Point  inside  of  three  days." 

"  The  Delhi's  time  is  sixty-three  hours,"  added  her 
commander.  "  If  your  coal  should  come  short,  I  can 
help  you  out ;  but  I  think  you  won't  need  it." 

"  Thank  you,  Captain  Kayburn ;  that  kind  offer 
removes  the  only  doubt  I  have  in  regard  to  the  voy- 
age," replied  Captain  Scott. 

"  The  Delhi,  as  you  have  seen  for  yourself,  is  not 
a  fast  steamer ;  but  the  only  fear  I  have  is  that  you 
will  not  be  able  to  keep  up  with  her,"  added  Captain 
Eayburn.  "I  am  obliged  to  sail  in  the  interest  of 
my  owners,  and  I  must  make  the  best  time  I  can. 
The  south-west  monsoons  prevail  at  this  season ;  and 
by  carrying  sail  I  may  add  half  a  knot,  or  perhaps 
a  knot,  to  her  speed.  I  should  be  sorry  to  run  away 
from  you,  buf  I  must  do  my  duty." 

"  Certainly  ;  that  is  understood.  If  you  run  away 
from  me,  I  shall  still  wish  you  bon  voyage.  But  sup- 
pose I  should  run  away  from  you  ?  "  suggested  Scott, 
laughing. 

"  You  will  be  quite  welcome  to  do  so.  The  Delhi 
is  an  old  steamer,  and  not  up  to  modern-built  ones  ; 
but  with  a  breeze  I  have  made  nine  knots  in  her." 

"  I  shall  try  to  keep  up  with  you,  for  I  should  be 


138  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

very  sorry  to  have  to  part  company  with  so  pleasant 
a  captain  as  you  are." 

"  Thank  you,  Captain  Scott ;  and  if  we  part  com- 
pany on  the  voyage,  I  hope  we  shall  meet  again.  I 
am  liable  to  be  detained  some  time  in  Saigon;  for 
mine  is  a  tramp  steamer,  and  I  have  to  look  up  a 
cargo  for  some  port,"  said  Captain  Rayburn,  as  he 
shook  hands  with  the  four,  and  went  into  his  boat 
alongside. 

The  first  thing  Scott  did  was  to  look  up  the  mast 
and  sail  of  the  Blanchita.  It  had  not  been  covered 
up  with  coal,  as  he  had  feared;  for  Clingman  had 
suspended  it  inboard  under  the  rail.  The  sail  had 
been  stowed  away  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  and  it 
was  brought  out  and  overhauled.  It  was  nearly  new, 
and  needed  no  repairs.  It  was  a  lug-foresail,  with  a 
gaff,  but  no  boom.  It  was  stepped  just  abaft  the 
galley,  and  the  sail  could  be  set  in  two  or  three  min- 
utes when  it  was  required. 

The  statement  of  the  captain  of  the  Delhi  that  he 
could  gain  a  knot  or  less  in  a  good  breeze  had  stimu- 
lated Scott  to  be  ready  for  such  an  emergency.  The 
wind  would  be  on  the  port  quarter  during  the  whole 
voyage,  and  the  sail  would  certainly  add  something 
to  the  speed  of  the  yacht.  In  the  crowd  that  col- 
lected at  the  government  storehouse  were  the  rajah 
and  most  of  the  .officers  of  the  place.  The  handshak- 
ing was  all  done  over  again,  and  pleasant  wishes 
were  extended  to  the  "  Big  Four "  as  the  Blanchita 
cast  off  her  fasts. 


ON  THE  VOYAGE  TO   POINT   CAMBODIA        139 

The  Delhi  was  already  under  way,  and  going  at 
full  speed  down  the  river.  Clingman  was  at  the 
wheel,  and  Scott  went  aft  to  the  engine-room,  as  it 
was  called,  though  there  was  no  such  room,  and  the 
word  applied  simply  to  the  locality ;  and  the  same 
was  true  of  the  galley.  The  boat  had  been  delayed 
a  little  while  the  party  were  making  and  receiving 
the  parting  salutations  of  their  friends,  and  the 
Delhi  had  a  lead  of  nearly  half  a  mile. 

"  Give  her  a  spurt,  Felipe,"  said  the  captain.  "  I 
want  to  know  if  that  craft  has  the  ability  to  run 
away  from  us." 

The  engineer  threw  more  coal  into  the  furnace ;  and 
in  a  few  minutes  he  "let  her  out,"  as  the  captain 
called  it.  It  was  very  soon  perceived  that  the  yacht 
was  gaining  on  the  old  steamer,  and  Scott  became 
correspondingly  happy.  She  was  farther  down  in 
the  water  than  usual  on  account  of  the  extra  quantity 
of  coal  in  her  bunkers,  and  all  along  her  sides,  to 
trim  her  properly. 

"  I  don't  believe  the  Delhi  will  run  away  from  us, 
Louis,"  said  "the  captain  as  the  millionaire  joined 
him,  curious  to  know  what  he  was  doing.  "  She 
isn't  loaded  for  her  best  sailing,  but  she  is  doing  first- 
rate  for  her  present  trim." 

"  This  is  smooth  water,  Captain ;  what  will  she  do 
when  we  get  out  to  sea?"  asked  Louis. 

"We  had  a  chance  to  try  her  yesterday  in  more 
than  half  a  gale,  and  she  behaved  like  a  lady  on  a 
dancing-floor." 


140  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"  But  she  was  not  loaded  down  with  coal  then  as 
she  is  now." 

"  The  extra  weight  will  not  disturb  her ;  on  the 
contrary,  I  think  it  will  make  her  steadier." 

"I  talked  with  the  rajah  on  board,  who  has  used 
her  for  over  a  year,  and  has  made  a  trip  to  Rangoon 
in  her.  He  said  she  was  usually  run  at  eight  knots 
an  hour ;  but  on  his  return  voyage,  when  he  was  in 
a  hurry,  she  made  nine  knots  for  twelve  hours  to- 
gether," Louis  explained. 

"That  is  all  I  want  of  her;  but  I  shall  not  drive 
her  up  to  that  unless  the  Delhi  is  likely  to  run  away 
from  us;  and  not  then  till  after  I  have  added  the 
sail  to  our  power  of  locomotion.  We  are  coming 
up  with  her  now,  and  probably  Captain  Kay  burn's 
fears  that  his  steamer  may  run  away  from  us 
are  beginning  to  abate,"  said  the  captain,  rubbing 
his  hands  in  his  delight  at  the  performance  of  the 
Blanchita. 

Bather  for  the  occupation  it  gave  him,  Scott  took 
the  wheel  himself,  directing  Clingman  to  call  the 
men,  and  remove  the  stanchions  and  connecting-rods 
on  the  starboard  side  of  the  boat  from  the  galley  to 
the  length  of  the  mast  aft,  so  that  the  sail  might  not 
be  obstructed  when  it  was  set. 

Then,  while  the  Blanchita  was  still  making  her 
nine  knots,  he  ran  her  alongside  the  Delhi  on  the 
port  side,  keeping  at  a  safe  distance  from  her.  Then 
he  called  to  Felipe  to  reduce  the  speed  to  eight  knots. 
He  had  gained  nearly  half  a  mile  in  going  half-way 


ON   THE   VOYAGE  TO   POINT   CAMBODIA        141 

down  the  river  to  the  sea  j  and  this  fully  satisfied 
Mm. 

"  Bully  for  you,  Captain  ! "  shouted  Captain  Kay- 
burn  from  the  quarter-deck  of  his  steamer. 

"  I  won't  run  away  from  you  !  "  returned  Scott,  as 
the  noise  of  escaping  steam  when  the  engineer  re- 
duced the  speed  must  have  reached  his  ears. 

"  Wait  till  we  get  out  to  sea  ! "  called  the  captain 
of  the  Delhi. 

"All  right." 

The  two  craft  kept  abreast  of  each  other  till  they 
had  passed  the  mountain  at  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
The  captain  laid  the  course  north-west  half-west ; 
and  this  was  to  be  the  course  for  half  the  distance 
to  Point  Cambodia,  as  he  remarked  to  Louis,  who  was 
at  his  side  observing  the  progress  of  the  yacht. 

"How  do  you  spell  that  word,  Captain  Scott?" 
asked  Louis. 

"  Just  as  I  spelled  it  when  I  went  to  school,  and  it 
is  so  put  down  on  my  chart ;  but  I  noticed  in  Black's 
"  Atlas "  that  it  was  spelled  Camboja  instead  of 
Cambodia,"  replied  Scott.  "I  am  a  sailor,  and  I 
stick  to  the  chart." 

"  I  see  that  Captain  Kayburn  has  laid  his  course  ; 
how  does  it  agree  with  yours,  Captain  ? "  inquired 
Louis,  when  they  were  a  mile  off  the  mountain. 

"  I  should  say  that  it  was  identically  the  same.  I 
will  hail  him." 

"North-west  half-west,"  was  the  answer  returned 
by  the  captain  of  the  Delhi. 


142  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"I  make  it  the  same/'  replied  Scott. 

The  cabin  party  were  summoned  to  dinner  at  this 
time,  and  Clingman  was  called  to  the  wheel. 

"  What's  the  bill  of  fare  to-day  ?  "  asked  Scott  as 
he  took  his  seat  at  the  table. 

"Baked  fish  and  roast  venison,"  replied  Pitts, 
"with  plum-duff." 

"Very  good,"  returned  the  captain.  "We  don't 
get  so  much  breeze  off  here  as  we  did  yesterday, 
Louis." 

"It  does  not  look  at  all  rough  off  at  sea,"  added 
the  captain.  "But  when  we  get  Cape  Datu  on  the 
beam,  we  may  feel  it  more." 

The  Delhi  had  not  yet  set  her  foresail,  for  she  was 
schooner-rigged,  and  there  was  not  wind  enough  to 
help  her  much ;  all  the  rest  of  the  day  the  two  craft 
kept  abreast  of  each  other,  as  they  had  in  coming 
down  the  river.  After  supper  the  watches  were 
arranged  for  the  night.  The  captain,  with  Clingman 
and  Lane,  had  the  first,  or  starboard  watch,  while 
Morris,  the  mate,  had  the  port  watch,  with  Wales 
and  Clinch. 

Louis  and  Felix  were  appointed  second  engineers, 
as  the  seamen  on  board  relieved  them  from  duty  as 
deck-hands ;  and  the  three  in  that  department  were  to 
keep  four-hour  watches,  like  the  officers  and  seamen. 
Achang  wanted  something  to  do ;  and  he  was  given 
the  berth  of  second  mate,  and  as  such  he  served  in 
charge  of  the  captain's  watch. 


AN    EXCITING   RACE   IN   THE   CHINA  SEA      143 


CHAPTER   XVI 

AN    EXCITING    RACE    IN    THE    CHINA    SEA 

EVERYTHING  worked  as  smoothly  on  board  of  the 
Blanchita  as  though  she  had  been  in  commission  for 
years,  for  there  was  not  a  green  hand  in  the  cabin  or 
forecastle.  The  experience  obtained  by  the  "  Four  "  in 
the  Maud  had  made  them  proficients  in  the  duties  of 
their  present  positions.  Louis  and  Felix  were  not 
trained  engineers  or  machinists;  though  they  were 
familiar  with  the  machine,  which  was  of  very  simple 
construction.  Both  of  them  were  competent  to  run 
the  engine,  and  had  served  their  watches  in  the 
Maud.  If  there  was  any  trouble,  the  chief  engineer 
was  close  at  hand. 

From  eight  to  twelve  it  was  the  captain's  watch. 
Achang,  who- had  been  the  master  of  a  vessel,  had 
been  regularly  installed  as  second  mate,  and  was  in 
charge  of  this  watch  ;  though  Scott  remained  on  deck 
all  the  time,  for  he  was  anxious  to  observe  the  move- 
ments of  the  Delhi.  Clingman  and  Lane  had  their 
two-hour  tricks  at  the  wheel,  and  there  was  no  hard 
work  for  anybody. 

The  breeze  was  good,  though  not  heavy  from  the 
south-west ;  but  the  Delhi  had  not  yet  set  a  sail.  The 
Blanchita  passed  Cape  Datu  at  ten  in  the  evening, 


144  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

and  the  second  mate  made  a  note  of  it  on  the  log- 
slate.  Both  craft  were  still  making  their  eight  knots, 
and  remained  abreast  of  each  other.  The  wind  in- 
creased slightly  in  force,  but  the  conditions  were 
about  the  same  all  night.  At  twelve  the  watch  was 
changed,  and  Morris  came  on  duty,  with  Louis  in  the 
engine-room.  The  captain  turned  in  at  this  time. 

At  three  in  the  morning  the  yacht  was  off  the 
island  of  Sirhassen,  of  which  a  note  was  made  on 
the  log-slate.  Morris  had  studied  the  chart  enough 
to  enable  him  to  recognize  the  island,  distant  as  it 
was,  at  six  bells,  or  three  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Of 
course  he  could  not  identify  it  by  its  looks,  never 
having  seen  it  before ;  but  the  captain  had  given  him 
the  distances  between  the  islands  on  the  course.  Sir- 
hassen was  forty  sea  miles  from  Cape  Datu,  or  five 
hours  as  the  yacht  was  running ;  and  when  land  was 
reported  on  the  beam,  bearing  about  west,  he  knew 
what  it  was.  The  chart  gave  the  island  as  one  of 
considerable  size  compared  with  the  multitude  of 
small  ones  in  that  locality;  and  this  indication  af- 
forded him  a  further  clew  to  the  identification. 

At  eight  bells,  or  four  o'clock,  the  morning  watch 
came  on  duty,  with  Achang  as  its  officer.  Captain 
Scott  did  not  turn  out  when  the  second  mate  was 
called,  with  Felix  to  take  his  place  at  the  engine,  and 
it  was  six  o'clock  when  he  made  his  appearance. 
Except  when  there  is  only  one  mate,  as  in  small  ves- 
sels, the  captain  keeps  no  watch ;  but  he  is  liable  to 
be  called  at  any  hour  of  the  night  in  case  of  a  squall 


AN   EXCITING  EACE  IN  THE   CHINA    SEA       145 

or  other  peril.  His  responsibility  may  induce  him  to 
spend  the  entire  night  on  deck. 

When  he  came  out  of  the  cabin,  his  first  care 
was  to  observe  the  signs  which  indicate  the  coming 
weather.  Then  he  went  to  the  wheel,  and  read  the 
entries  made  on  the  log-slate.  The  sea  was  about 
the  same  as  it  had  been  when  he  left  the  deck.  He 
had  looked  at  the  barometer  before  he  left  the  cabin. 
There  were  no  signs  of  bad  weather  in  any  direction. 

"What  do  you  think  of  the  weather,  Mr.  Ac- 
hang?"  he  asked  of  the  officer  of  the  deck. 

"  It  will  be  fine,  Captain,"  replied  the  second 
mate.  "  I  have  come  all  the  way  from  Banjermas- 
sin  to  Calcutta  with  the  weather  just  like  this  al- 
ways ;  but  I  think  we  have  more  wind  when  the 
sun  come  up." 

"We  can  stand  more  than  we  have  now,"  added 
Scott. 

"  Some  of  the  young  gentlemen  fear  to  go  to  sea 
in  open  boat  like  this  yacht ;  but  the  dhows  and 
the  proas  have  not  much  decks,"  said  the  Bornean. 

"Then  you  think  we  shall  have  weather  like  this 
all  the  way  to  Point  Cambodia  ? " 

"May  blow  a  little  more  hard  some  time." 

The  sun  was  coming  up  in  the  east,  and  in  the 
course  of  half  an  hour  Achang's  prophecy  of  more 
wind  was  realized.  It  freshened  rapidly  for  a  short 
time;  but  it  did  not  come  in  flaws  or  squalls,  and 
was  a  steady  breeze.  A  table  had  been  set  up  in 
the  fore  cabin;  and  at  half-past  seven,  or  seven 


146  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

bells,  which  is  the  usual  hour  for  breakfast  at  sea, 
the  meal  was  served  to  the  watch  below. 

"  Land  on  the  port  bow,  sir !  "  reported  Cling- 
man,  who  was  the  lookout  man,  just  before  eight 
bells. 

"  That  is  Subi,"  said  Achang,  looking  at  the  paper 
Morris  had  given  him  when  the  watch  was  changed. 

"That's  right,  Mr.  Achang,"  added  the  captain. 
"I  see  the  Delhi  is  setting  her  foresail,  and  that 
means  wind  enough  to  add  something  to  her  eight 
knots  an  hour." 

Lane  at  the  wheel  struck  eight  bells  a  few  minutes 
later ;  and  the  officer  and  engineer  of  the  port  watch 
came  promptly  on  deck  from  the  cabin,  as  did  the 
seamen  from  the  fore  cabin.  Breakfast  had  been 
served  at  both  ends  of  the  yacht  to  the  watch 
below,  so  that  they  were  in  readiness  to  come  on 
duty  at  the  striking  of  the  bell.  Breakfast  was 
ready  for  those  who  came  off  watch  as  soon  as 
they  were  relieved. 

Pitts  had  his  hands  more  than  full  in  supplying 
the  two  tables,  but  he  was  assisted  by  the  idlers 
about  the  boat.  The  seamen  were  served  as  on 
board  of  the  Guardian-Mother,  where  they  had  a 
table  and  a  regular  meal.  On  ordinary  sea-going 
vessels  the  men  get  their  « grub  "  at  the  galley  in 
tins,  or  kids,  and  eat  it  seated  on  the  deck,  or  where 
they  choose. 

Captain  Scott  had  graciously  ordained,  as  there 
was  nothing  to  be  done  outside  of  the  working  of 


AN   EXCITING  RACE   IN   THE   CHINA  SEA       147 

the  yacht,  that  " watch  and  watch"  should  be  the 
rule  011  board;  which  means  that  the  hands  shall 
have  all  their  time  to  themselves  when  not  on  watch, 
though  they  were  to  respond  when  all  hands  were 
called. 

"The  Delhi  means  to  run  away  from  us,  I  sup- 
pose, for  she  has  put  on  all  sail,"  said  Louis  as  he 
came  on  deck  when  he  had  finished  his  breakfast. 

"But  I  don't  believe  she  will  do  it,"  replied  the 
captain.  "  We  have  a  sail ;  but  I  am  waiting  to 
see  what  she  can  do  under  her  present  conditions, 
and  I  have  told  Felipe  to  hurry  her  up  a  little, 
just  enough  to  keep  up  with  our  consort." 

"  She  is  gaining  on  us  a  little,"  added  Louis. 

"I  see  she  is ;  but  the  engineer  has  thrown  an- 
other shovelful  of  coal  into  the  furnace,  and  I  wish 
to  see  the  effect  it  will  produce.  He  has  opened 
his  valve  a  little,  but  he  has  not  steam  enough 
yet." 

But  it  was  soon  evident  to  all  who  understood 
the  matter  that  the  Blanchita  was  gaining  on  her 
consort.  It  was  plain,  too,  that  Captain  Eayburn 
had  noticed  the  fact,  for  his  crew  were  setting  the 
gaff-topsails  on  the  fore  and  main  masts.  Something 
of  the  enthusiasm  of  a  race  was  aroused  on  board. 
Felipe  had  worked  up  his  machine  to  the  nine-knot 
gauge;  and  in  spite  of  the  added  sail  on  the  Delhi, 
the  boat  was  overhauling  her. 

"  I  think  that  Captain  Kay  burn  must  be  recalling 
his  talk  to  us  at  Sarawak  about  running  away  from 


148  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

us,"  said  Louis.  "What  is  he  doing  now,  Captain 
Scott?" 

"He  appears  to  be  hoisting  a  yard  on  his  fore- 
mast," replied  Scott. 

"What  is  that  for?" 

"If  you  watch  the  steamer  for  a  little  while 
longer,  you  will  see  him  shake  out  a  fore  square- 
sail,  and  that  will  be  the  sharpest  move  he  has 
made  yet.  Morris,  have  the  mast  stepped,  and  set 
the  sail,"  continued  the  captain. 

Clinch  was  at  the  wheel ;  and  Clingman  was  called 
upon  to  do  the  work,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
other  two  hands.  The  great  squaresail  of  the  Delhi 
had  been  shaken  out,  and  it  was  drawing  for  all 
it  was  worth.  The  effect  was  simply  to  prevent 
the  Blanchita  from  passing  her,  as  she  would  have 
done  in  a  few  minutes  more.  The  enthusiasm  of  a 
race  was  fully  developed  on  board  the  yacht,  among 
the  seamen  as  well  as  the  cabin  party.  Clingman 
and  the  others  had  worked  very  lively,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  the  sail  was  set.  The  captain  gave 
the  orders  for  trimming  it;  and  as  soon  as  the 
sheet  was  made  fast  the  yacht  heeled  over  till  her 
rail  was  nearly  down  to  the  water. 

"Our  sail  is  a  big  one,"  said  Scott,  who  saw  it 
spread  out  for  the  first  time ;  "  and  if  we  desire  to 
run  away  from  the  Delhi,  I  am  satisfied  that  we 
could  do  it." 

The  boat  dashed  the  spray  at  her  bow,  and  proved 
to  be  very  wet  in  the  fore  cabin.  The  captain  or- 


AN  EXCITING  KACE  IN  THE  CHINA  SEA      149 

dered  the  curtains  to  be  hauled  down  to  keep  the  water 
out,  and  the  forward  part  of  the  craft  was  then  as 
dry  as  it  had  been  on  the  river. 

Scott  was  not  quite  satisfied  with  the  steering 
under  the  altered  conditions,  and  he  went  to  the 
wheel  himself.  He  was  a  very  skilful  boatman  in 
a  sailing-craft,  as  had  been  fully  proved  by  his  bring- 
ing his  yacht,  the  Seahound,  from  New  York  through 
the  Bahama  Islands.  The  seaman  was  inclined  to 
follow  the  compass  too  closely,  while  Scott  regarded 
the  effect  of  the  sail. 

"We  are  gaining  on  the  Delhi,"  said  Louis,  as  he 
seated  himself  near  the  captain. 

"  Of  course  we  are  ;  I  knew  she  would  do  it  with 
the  sail  in  this  wind,"  replied  Scott.  "  The  Blanchita 
is  a  light  craft,  and  skims  over  the  water  like  a 
racer." 

"But  it  is  a  little  too  much  sail  for  her,"  sug- 
gested Louis.  "  She  is  taking  in  a  bucket  of  water 
over  her  lee  rail  once  in  a  while." 

"Try  the  pump,  Lane,"  added  the  captain.  "I 
don't  believe  she  has  shipped  more  than  a  teaspoon- 
ful  or  two." 

"We  are  pretty  well  down  in  the  water,"  added 
Louis. 

"  Clingman,  let  off  about  six  inches  of  the  sheet," 
continued  Scott ;  and  the  order  was  promptly  obeyed. 
"I  think  you  are  getting  a  little  nervous,  my  dear 
fellow,"  he  added  to  Louis. 

"  Perhaps  I  am ;  I  should  not  like  to  see  the  yacht 


150  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLOREKS 

heel  over  and  take  in  a  couple  of  hogsheads  of  water, 
for  she  is  loaded  so  heavily  with  coal  that  she  would 
go  to  the  bottom." 

"  But  I  should  not  let  her  ship  such  a  sea  as  that. 
The  wind  is  quite  steady,  with  no  heavy  flaws,  and 
the  boat  is  under  perfect  control.  I  should  like  it 
better  to  sail  the  Blanchita  with  less  cargo  in  her, 
but  she  is  doing  splendidly." 

"  But  a  flaw  might  come,  even  if  we  have  had  none 
to-day;  what  could  you  do  in  that  case?"  asked 
Louis. 

"  Clingman,  stand  by  the  sheet ! "  called  the  cap- 
tain. 

The  seaman  was  seated  on  a  box  not  more  than 
three  feet  from  the  cleat  at  which  the  sheet  was 
made  fast.  He  took  his  place  within  reach  of  it. 

"  Now  she  heels  over  again  !  "  exclaimed  Louis,  as 
the  water  came  quite  up  to  the  rail,  though  she  took 
none  in. 

"  Cast  off  the  sheet,  Clingman ! "  called  the  cap- 
tain ;  and  the  order  was  obeyed  in  an  instant. 

The  boat  flew  up  to  an  even  keel  almost  as  though 
she  had  been  hoisted  up  by  some  giant  power. 

"  That  is  how  I  should  keep  her  from  shipping  a 
big  sea,"  said  Scott,  as  he  looked  at  his  companion 
with  a  smile  on  his  brown  face. 

"  I  give  it  up,  Captain  Scott.  Of  course  you  know 
what  you  are  about  every  time,  and  I  won't  say  a 
word  again  about  the  boat.  But  suppose  you  were 
not  looking  when  the  flaw  came  ?  " 


AN  EXCITING  RACE  IN  THE  CHINA  SEA      151 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  be  looking ;  for  a  skipper 
steers  more  by  the  feeling  of  the  boat  than  by  sight. 
Make  fast  the  sheet,  Clingman." 

The  Blanchita  went  ahead  again ;  and  by  this  time 
she  was  abreast  of  the  Delhi,  and  gaining  upon  her. 
Captain  Rayburn  was  on  his  quarter-deck. 

"  Don't  run  away  from  me,  and  I  won't  run  away 
from  you  ! "  he  shouted. 

But  he  had  hardly  spoken  before  a  noise  like  the 
distant  report  of  a  cannon  was  heard  on  board  of  the 
yacht. 

"  He  has  split  his  fore  squaresail ;  and  if  his  game 
was  not  up  before,  it  is  now,"  said  Captain  Scott. 
"  The  sail  was  old  and  rotten,  and  I  don't  believe  he 
would  have  attempted  to  carry  it  except  on  an  occa- 
sion like  the  present." 

"  He  was  a  little  too  pronounced  when  he  expressed 
his  fears  that  the  Blanchita  would  not  be  able  to 
keep  up  with  him,  and  I  fancy  he  is  sorry  he  said 
anything  about  it  by  this  time,"  added  Louis. 

The  split  sail  could  not  be  repaired  at  once  ;  and 
if  it  could  it  was  not  strong  enough  to  be  of  any  use 
in  the  fresh  breeze.  The  crew  took  it  in  at  once,  the 
yard  being  lowered  to  enable  them  to  do  so.  The 
captain  of  the  yacht  ordered  the  engineer  to  reduce 
his  speed  to  the  ordinary  rate,  though  the  sail  was 
not  furled.  Between  the  steam  and  the  wind  the 
Blanchita  ran  ahead  of  the  Delhi.  The  sheet  was 
slacked  off  as  far  as  it  could  be  without  permitting 
the  sail  to  shake,  and  the  two  craft  kept  well  together 


152  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

the  rest  of  the  day,  passing  Great  Natuna  Island  at 
four  in  the  afternoon. 

The  captain  took  the  sun  at  noon,  and  worked  up 
the  position  of  the  boat.  The  run  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Sarawak  at  that  time  was  two  hundred  and  four 
sea  miles. 


THE  END  OF  THE  VOYAGE  TO  BANGKOK   153 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE  END  OF  THE  VOYAGE  TO  BANGKOK 

THE  routine  of  daily  duty  on  board  of  the  Blan- 
chita  has  been  given ;  and  after  the  race  in  the  China 
Sea  had  proved  that  she  could  run  away  from  the 
Delhi,  there  was  no  further  excitement  on  the  voyage. 
On  the  contrary,  it  was  rather  monotonous,  and  there 
were  no  incidents  worthy  of  record.  After  passing 
Great  Natuna  on  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Sarawak,  no  land  was  seen 
again  till  the  island  of  Pulo  Obi,  about  twenty  miles 
south-west  of  Point  Cambodia,  was  seen  on  the  third 
day;  and  the  Point  on  the  mainland  was  passed  a 
little  later. 

At  noon  on  this  day  the  two  vessels  were  forty- 
four  miles  up  the  Gulf  of  Siam.  The  prophecies 
of  Captain  Rayburn  and  Achang  in  regard  to  the 
weather  proved  to  be  correct.  The  monsoon  blew 
steadily  all  the  way,  and  the  yacht  carried  her  sail. 
Not  even  a  squall  disturbed  the  serenity  of  the  voy- 
age, and  everything  went  on  as  during  the  first  and 
second  days.  The  "  Four  "  would  have  been  glad  to  ex- 
plore the  Great  Natuna  Island,  and  determine  whether 
or  not  it  was  inhabited  ;  for  they  could  obtain  no  in- 
formation in  regard  to  it  from  any  of  the  books  they 


154  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

had  brought  from  the  ship,  and  they  forgot  to  inquire 
about  it  at  Kuching. 

At  noon  on  the  third  day,  in  the  Gulf,  the  captain 
of  the  Delhi  hailed  the  yacht,  and  came  on  board  of 
her. 

"  I  shall  have  to  bear  more  to  the  eastward  now, 
Captain  Scott,  and  we  shall  soon  part  company,"  said 
the  commander  of  the  Delhi.  "  We  had  quite  a  lively 
race  on  our  second  day  out,  and  you  beat  me  hand- 
somely. I  had  no  idea  that  your  yacht  could  sail  so 
fast.  I  was  afraid  you  could  not  keep  up  with  me  ; 
but  I  found  that  you  could  run  away  from  me,  as  you 
suggested  before  we  sailed." 

"I  did  not  know  myself  what  speed  the  Blan- 
chita  could  make,  though  I  was  informed  that  she 
had  gone  nine  knots  for  twelve  hours  together," 
replied  Scott. 

"  I  am  very  glad  that  I  met  you,  and  I  hope  I 
shall  see  you  again.  You  have  a  very  agreeable 
party,  and  I  should  think  you  might  enjoy  your- 
selves." 

"  I  think  we  are  likely  to  meet  again  at  Saigon. 
The  Guardian-Mother  will  be  there,  and  I  hope  you 
will  come  on  board  of  her,"  replied  Captain  Scott,  as 
they  shook  hands  at  parting,  and  the  visitor  returned 
to  the  Delhi. 

The  Blanchita  started  her  screw  again;  and  the 
captain  gave  out  north-west  as  the  course  for  the 
mouth  of  the  Menan  River,  on  which  Bangkok  is  situ- 
ated. 


THE   END   OF  THE   VOYAGE   TO   BANGKOK      155 

"Where  do  you  expect  to  find  the  Guardian- 
Mother,  Captain  Scott  ?  "  asked  Louis. 

"  At  Bangkok,"  replied  the  captain,  as  he  took 
his  memorandum-book  from  his  pocket.  "  Captain 
Einggold  gave  me  his  time  for  leaving  there,  and 
also  of  sailing  from  Saigon." 

"  When  was  he  to  leave  the  capital  of  Siam  ?  " 

"On  the  first  tide  Monday  morning.  This  is 
Saturday,  a  little  after  noon,"  replied  Scott.  "We 
have  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  to  make. 
The  monsoon  is  about  as  fresh  here  as  it  has  been 
all  the  voyage;  and  we  have  used  up  about  half  of 
our  coal,  so  that  we  are  considerably  lighter  than 
when  we  left  Kuching,  and  with  the  sail  we  can 
easily  log  nine  knots  an  hour.  We  shall  go  into 
the  Menan  River  before  sundown  to-morrow,  and  it 
will  take  two  or  three  hours  to  go  up  to  the  city. 
We  shall  be  alongside  the  ship  some  time  in  the 
evening;  and  that  is  just  the  time  I  should  like  to 
be  there." 

"We  shalLgive  our  friends  a  tremendous  surprise," 
added  Louis. 

"That  is  so;  for  while  your  anxious  mamma  is 
worrying  for  fear  you  have  been  chewed  up  by  an 
orang-outang,  and  Flix's  grandma  is  dreaming  that 
he  has  been  swallowed  whole  by  a  big  boa-constrictor, 
we  shall  drop  in  on  them  while  they  are  singing 
gospel  hymns  in  the  music-room." 

"I  shall  be  sorry  to  disappoint  grandma;  but  if 
she  insists  upon  dreaming  such  nonsense,  it  is  not 


156  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

my  fault,"  added  Felix.  "She  ought  to  know  by 
this  time  that  snakes  don't  swallow  me  till  they  get 
a  bullet  through  their  heads." 

"I  don't  think  my  mother  has  been  greatly  wor- 
ried about  me,  for  she  has  learned  that  I  am  able  to 
take  care  of  myself,"  said  Louis. 

"But  the  mothers  will  hug  their  boys  as  soon  as 
they  get  hold  of  them." 

"I  wish  the  hugging  might  be  confined  to  the 
mothers,  for  it  is  perfectly  proper  for  them  to  do 
that  thing;  but  when  it  comes  to  a  grandma  who 
hasn't  a  drop  of  Irish  blood  in  her  veins,  I  beg  to 
be  excused,  and,  what  is  more,  I  won't  stand  it," 
protested  Felix,  making  a  very  comical  face. 

"But  you  can't  help  yourself,  Flix,"  laughed  the 
captain. 

"  You  see  if  I  don't !  "  replied  the  Milesian,  shak- 
ing his  head  as  though  his  plan  to  avoid  the  endear- 
ing reception  had  already  been  formed. 

"We  shall  see  what  we  shall  see,"  added  the 
captain.  "  It  seems  to  me  that  the  breeze  is  stronger 
here  than  it  was  out  at  sea." 

"There  is  a  hot  country  to  the  east  of  us,  and 
perhaps  the  wind  is  hurrying  up  to  fill  a  partial 
vacuum  there,"  suggested  Louis. 

"You  are  a  philosopher,  my  darling  Louis,  and 
that  must  be  the  reason,"  added  Felix. 

The  Blanchita  seemed  to  be  flying  through  the 
water,  for  her  speed  had  sensibly  increased  since 
she  came  into  the  Gulf.  There  were  several  large 


THE  END  OF  THE  VOYAGE  TO  BANGKOK   157 

islands  along  the  coast  of  Cambodia ;  but  the  course 
was  fifty  miles  outside  of  the  mainland,  which  could 
not  be  seen. 

"  Why  do  you  keep  so  far  from  the  shore,  Captain 
Scott  ? "  asked  Louis ;  for  all  the  party  would  have 
been  glad  to  observe  the  shore. 

"  Because  we  all  wish  to  get  to  Bangkok  to-morrow 
evening.  What  is  the  shortest  way  between  two 
points,  Louis  ?  " 

"A  straight  line,  of  course." 

"That's  the  reason  we  keep  her  so  far  from  the 
land.  A  north-west  course  from  a  point  outside  of 
Obi  Island  to  Cape  Liant  takes  the  yacht  on  the 
course  we  are  running  now." 

"That  explains  it  all,"  replied  Louis. 

The  watches  were  regularly  kept,  and  the  captain 
was  satisfied  that  the  Blanchita  was  making  over 
nine  knots  an  hour.  There  was  no  excitement  of 
any  kind  on  board,  and  the  rest  of  the  day  was  with- 
out anything  worthy  of  note.  The  Delhi  had  gone 
in  behind  an  island,  and  in  a  few  hours  she  was  no 
longer  to  be  seen.  And  so  it  was  all  day  Sunday. 
Cape  Liant  was  passed  about  one  o'clock.  A  river 
pilot  was  taken  about  five  o'clock.  He  could  not 
speak  English,  but  Achang  spoke  to  him  in  Malay. 

"  Ask  him  if  the  Guardian-Mother  is  in  the  river, 
Achang,"  said  the  captain. 

The  pilot  could  not  make  out  the  name,  and  the 
interpreter  described  the  ship  so  that  he  understood 
him  at  last.  The  face  of  the  Siamese  lighted  up 


158  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

when  he  got  the  idea,  and  it  was  seen  by  the  four 
that  the  ship  was  there.  Achang  informed  them 
that  the  Guardian-Mother  was  anchored  in  the  river. 

The  river  was  full  of  boats,  and  on  many  of  them 
houses  were  built.  The  people  were  new  to  the 
Americans,  though  they  were  not  very  different  to 
the  ordinary  observer  from  the  Burmese  and  other 
natives  they  had  seen.  Before  the  yacht  was  half- 
way up  to  the  city,  it  was  too  dark  to  see  anything 
distinctly,  and  the  party  were  more  interested  in  the 
expected  surprise  of  their  friends  on  board  the  ship 
than  anything  else. 

When  the  yacht  was  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  ship,  the  pilot  pointed  her  out.  The  singing 
in  the  music-room  could  be  distinctly  heard,  and 
everything  was  working  precisely  as  Scott  had  said 
it  would.  At  the  gangway  the  barge  of  the  Blanche 
was  made  fast;  and  it  was  evident  that  General 
Noury  and  his  wife  were  on  board,  and  perhaps 
Captain  Sharp  and  his  lady.  The  boat  was  worked 
very  carefully  and  noiselessly  up  to  the  platform  of 
the  gangway,  where  several  sailors  were  seated. 

"  The  Blanchita !  "  exclaimed  Quartermaster  Bangs, 
as  he  recognized  the  craft.  "  Captain  Scott !  I  will 
inform  the  captain  that  you  are  alongside." 

"  Don't  do  anything  of  the  kind,  Bangs  !  "  replied 
Scott.  "  Don't  say  a  word,  and  don't  make  any 
noise,  any  of  you.  We  want  to  drop  in  on  the  party 
without  any  notice." 

The  quartermaster  was  a  very  intelligent  fellow, 


THE   END   OF   THE   VOYAGE   TO   BANGKOK      159 

and  lie  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance.  The  "  Big 
Four"  stepped  lightly  on  the  platform,  and  Felix 
had  taken  pains  to  be  the  last  one  to  mount  the 
gangway.  Scott  led  the  way,  and  halted  at  the  door 
of  the  music-room.  He  waited  there  till  the  hymn 
they  were  singing  was  finished,  and  then  threw  open 
the  door,  and  marched  in.  He  took  off  his  cap,  and 
bowed  as  gracefully  as  a  dancing-master  to  the 
assembly. 

Louis  and  Morris  followed  him,  and  imitated  the 
example  he  had  given  them ;  but  Felix  had  dis- 
appeared, and  they  did  not  know  what  had  become 
of  him.  The  musical  party  seemed  to  be  so  utterly 
confounded  at  the  sudden  and  unexpected  appear- 
ance of  the  hunters  from  Borneo  that  they  seemed 
to  be  struck  dumb  with  amazement. 

"  Louis,  my  son ! "  Mrs.  Belgrave  screamed  as  she 
rushed  upon  her  boy,  and  folded  him  in  her  arms, 
kissing  him  as  though  he  had  come  back  to  her  from 
a  tomb  or  a  grave  beneath  the  ocean. 

"  Morris ! "  cried  Mrs.  Woolridge,  as  she  imitated 
the  example  of  Mrs.  Belgrave. 

"  My  brother ! "  exclaimed  Miss  Blanche,  as  she 
divided  the  neck  and  arms  of  the  returned  hunter 
with  her  mother. 

"This  is  somewhat  unexpected,  Captain  Scott," 
said  Captain  Einggold,  as  he  came  forward,  and  took 
the  hand  of  the  captain  of  the  Blanchita,  who  alone 
of  the  trio  was  not  in  the  arms  of  a  mother. 

"  I  should  say  that  it  might  be,  Captain,"  replied 


160  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

Scott  as  coolly  as  though  the  meeting  was  nothing 
unusual. 

"  But  how  under  the  sun  did  you  get  here,  Scott  ?  " 
demanded  the  commander,  scrutinizing  the  expres- 
sion of  the  third  officer,  —  which  was  his  rank  on 
board  of  the  ship,  —  to  ascertain  if  there  were  any 
signs  of  a  calamity  there. 

"We  came  by  water,  Captain,"  answered  the  young 
officer,  with  a  cheerful  smile,  which  indicated  any- 
thing but  a  disaster. 

"  Of  course  you  did,  inasmuch  as  there  is  no  other 
way  to  get  here.  In  what  steamer  did  you  come  ? 
for  I  believe  there  is  no  regular  line  from  Sarawak 
to  Bangkok,"  added  Captain  Einggold. 

"We  came  by  the  steamer  Blanchita." 

"  I  don't  understand  it  at  all,"  said  the  commander 
with  a  perplexed  look  on  his  face.  "Do  you  mean 
that  you  made  the  voyage  in  the  steam-yacht,  Mr. 
Scott?"  and  there  was  a  decided  expression  of  in- 
credulity on  his  face. 

"That  is  exactly  what  I  mean  to  assert;  and  if 
you  have  any  doubts  about  the  truth  of  what  I  say, 
I  appeal  to  Louis  and  Morris  to  substantiate  my 
assertion. 

"If  you  really  say  so,  I  do  not  doubt  the  truth 
of  what  you  declare.  It  looks  like  a  foolhardy 
risk,  but  boys  will  be  boys.  I  will  not  detain  you 
now;  for  others  wish  to  welcome  you  back,  and  I 
know  they  are  all  glad  to  see  you,  unexpected  as 
your  return  is." 


'•BUT   WHERE    IS    FELIX?"    DEMANDED    MRS.    BLOSSOM. 

Page  161. 


THE  END   OF   THE   VOYAGE   TO   BANGKOK      161 

As  soon  as  his  mother  released  him  from  the 
bondage  of  her  loving  arms,  Louis  hastened  to  Miss 
Blanche,  and  she  grasped  his  hand  as  he  approached. 
No  loving  expressions  passed  between  them,  but 
what  they  might  have  said  that  could  be  classed 
under  this  head  was  seen  on  their  telltale  faces. 

"  But  where  is  Felix  ?  "  demanded  Mrs.  Blossom, 
who  had  been  looking  for  him  since  Scott  came  into 
the  room.  "Where  is  he,  Mr.  Scott?" 

"I  am  sorry  to  say  that  he  was  swallowed  by  a 
big  boa-constrictor  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long, 
and  twelve  feet  in  circumference,"  replied  the  cap- 
tain of  the  Blanchita,  as  seriously  as  though  there 
had  been  such  a  monster  snake  in  existence. 

The  poor  lady  was  impervious  to  a  joke ;  she 
screamed  once,  and  then  dropped  in  a  sitting  posture 
on  a  divan.  Nearly  all  the  rest  of  the  party  laughed 
heartily.  At  this  point  the  head  of  Felix  dropped 
down  a  foot  through  the  skylight  over  the  centre 
of  the  room.  He  had  made  his  way  to  the  upper 
deck,  and  stationed  himself  where  he  could  see  and 
hear  all  that  passed  in  the  apartment. 

"  Good-mahrnin'  to  ye's  all  this  foine  avenin'  ! "  he 
shouted.  "  Don't  ye's  make  a  row,  Aunty.  The 
schnake  was  a  bit  troubled  wid  indigestion  of  the 
brain,  and,  f aix !  I  was  too  much  for  him !  Loike 
the  sodjers  surrounded  by  the  inimy,  Oi  cut  me  way 
out,  and  here  Oi  am." 

"  I  don't  believe  you  were  swallowed  by  a  snake," 
protested  Mrs.  Blossom. 


162  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"Don't  you  believe  that  Jonah  swallowed  the 
whale,  Aunty?"  demanded  Felix. 

"  Of  course  I  believe  that  because  it  is  in  the  Bible. 
If  you  had  told  me  that  you  had  swallowed  the 
snake,  I  might  have  believed  that,"  added  the  good 
lady. 

At  this  point  General  Noury  came  forward,  and 
grasped  the  hand  of  Scott,  passing  from  him  to  Louis 
and  Morris,  and  then  doing  the  same  with  Felix,  who 
had  dropped  down  from  his  perch  at  the  skylight. 
As  soon  as  Mrs.  Blossom  saw  him  on  the  floor,  she 
rushed  towards  him  with  outspread  arms;  but  the 
Milesian  warded  off  the  assault,  and  took  her  right 
hand. 

"  Don't  hug  me,  Aunty,  for  the  snake  swallowed 
me  clothes  and  all,  and  you  may  get  some  of  the 
poison  on  you,"  said  he. 

For  some  time  longer  there  was  a  general  hand- 
shaking, and  Louis  was  kissed  by  the  Princess  Zu- 
leima. 


163 


CHAPTER   XVIII 


AFTER  the  welcome  of  the  Bornean  hunters  had 
spent  itself  in  kissing  and  handshaking,  the  question 
came  up  as  to  why  the  "Big  Four"  had  abandoned 
their  explorations  after  one  week  in  the  island  in- 
stead of  three,  the  time  arranged  for  them  to  remain 
there ;  and  they  had  fixed  the  time  themselves. 

"  I  thought  three  weeks  was  a  rather  long  time  for 
you  to  be  in  the  island,"  said  Captain  Einggold  after 
the  question  had  been  opened  for  discussion. 

"  We  fixed  the  time  before  we  knew  anything 
about  the  island,7'  replied  Louis.  "But  I  want  to 
say,  in  order  to  counteract  the  impression  which  ap- 
pears to  prevail  in  this  company,  that  our  trip  was 
not  a  failure ;  for  we  had  a  fine  time,  and  enjoyed  our 
trips  on  the  rivers." 

"  If  you  had  a  good  time,  why  did  you  cut  it  short 
by  two-thirds  of  the  period  allotted  to  the  excur- 
sions ? "  asked  Uncle  Moses. 

"We  went  up  the  Sarawak,  the  Sadong,  and  the 
Simujan,  up  the  last  to  the  mountains,  passing  through 
Lake  Padang,  and  we  have  shot  an  orang-outang,  and 
might  have  killed  more  of  them,  to  say  nothing  of 
other  game,"  replied  Louis,  whom  Scott  had  requested 


164  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

to  do  the  talking.  "We  visited  three  Dyak  villages, 
sailed  the  Blanchita  through  a  forest,  and  killed  a 
good  many  crocodiles." 

"  You  seem  to  have  had  sport  enough,"  added 
Uncle  Moses.  "Why  did  you  give  it  up  in  the 
cream  of  the  thing  ?  " 

"  I  believe  you  like  a  good  dinner,  Uncle  Moses ; 
such  a  dinner  as  you  always  have  on  board  of  the 
Guardian-Mother,"  continued  Louis,  who  was  evi- 
dently pluming  himself  to  make  a  point. 

"  I  do  like  a  good  dinner,  and  enjoy  one  very 
much,"  replied  the  worthy  trustee  of  the  young  mil- 
lionaire. "  But  I  doubt  if  I  am  any  more  devoted  to 
such  a  banquet  as  we  get  every  day  than  my  beloved 
friend,  Brother  Adipose  Tissue,  and  all  the  rest  of 
the  voyagers  all  over  the  world." 

"  I  plead  guilty  to  the  charge  of  Brother  Avoirdu- 
pois ;  and  I  acknowledge  myself  to  be  a  worshipper 
at  the  shrine  of  Mr.  Melancthon  Sage,  and  I  invoke 
a  blessing  upon  the  head  of  Monsieur  Odervie,  the 
chief  cook.  Our  life  on  the  ocean  wave  is  a  constant 
promotive  of  the  appetite.  If  the  proof  of  the  pud- 
ding is  not  in  the  eating  of  the  bag,  it  is  in  the  eating 
of  the  dinners ;  and  I  think  we  pay  an  abundant  trib- 
ute to  the  talent  of  Mr.  Sage,  the  prince  of  stewards, 
in  the  quantity  of  the  well-cooked  food  he  causes  to 
be  placed  before  us." 

"We  get  through  dinner  about  seven  o'clock.  I 
see  that  the  accomplished  chief  steward  is  stand- 
ing at  the  door,"  continued  Louis.  "Now,  Mr.  Sage, 


LOUIS'S   DOUBLE-DINNER   ARGUMENT       165 

would  it  be  possible  and  convenient  for  you  to  have 
another  dinner  on  the  table,  say  at  eight  o'clock,  an 
hour  after  the  first  feast  had  been  finished  ?  " 

"  Quite  possible,  and  even  convenient ;  the  only  per- 
sons to  complain  of  such  an  arrangement  would  be 
the  cooks  and  stewards,"  replied  Mr.  Sage. 

"  Captain  Ringgold,  might  I  so  far  presume  upon 
any  influence  I  may  have  with  you  as  the  owner  of 
the  Guardian-Mother  to  request  you  to  order  a  second 
dinner  to  be  served  at  eight  in  the  evening,  begin- 
ning, say,  with  to-morrow  evening  ? "  asked  the 
young  millionaire,  looking  as  serious  as  though  he 
was  about  to  preach  a  sermon,  though  the  party 
were  generally  laughing. 

"As  I  have  always  told  you,  I  take  my  orders 
from  the  owner;  and  if  you  desire  such  a  dinner, 
I  shall  certainly  give  Mr.  Sage  an  order  to  that 
effect,"  replied  the  commander. 

"  But  who  is  to  eat  the  dinner  after  it  is  provided, 
an  hour  after  the  passengers  have  gorged  themselves 
at  the  table  ?  "  demanded  Dr.  Hawkes.  "  Is  this  a 
conspiracy  to  make  more  work  for  the  surgeon  ? " 

"  No^at  all,"  protested  Louis.  "It  is  to  give  the 
gentlemen  who  question  so  closely  an  opportunity  to 
have  an  abundance  of  a  good  thing." 

"But  we  could  not  eat  the  dinner,"  said  Uncle 
Moses.  "We  are  not  hogs." 

"  Oh,  you  are  not ! "  chuckled  the  owner 

"  But  what  has  all  this  to  do  with  hunting  and 
exploring  in  Borneo  ?  "  inquired  Mr.  Woolridge. 


166  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"Well,  sir,  after  we  had  taken  a  full  dinner  in 
Borneo,  Uncle  Moses  and  the  commander  ask  us 
why  we  did  not  eat  another  dinner  immediately  on 
the  top  of  it,  as  I  observe  that  they  are  not  disposed 
to  do  on  board  of  the  ship,"  returned  Louis. 

Some  of  the  party  had  penetrated  to  the  conclusion 
of  Louis's  argument,  but  most  of  them  did  not  see 
the  point  of  his  illustration  till  he  made  his  last 
remark;  then  Mr.  Woolridge  began  to  clap  his  hands, 
and  the  whole  company  applauded  vigorously. 

"  I  suppose  the  interpretation  of  the  whole  matter 
is,  that  the  hunters  in  Borneo  were  gorged  with  hunt- 
ing," said  Captain  Ringgold ;  "  and  that  when  they 
stipulated  for  three  weeks  of  the  sport,  they  overdid 
the  matter." 

"  That  was  precisely  the  situation,  Mr.  Commander ; 
and  if  you  had  been  with  us  on  the  waters  of  Padang 
Lake,  you  could  not  have  defined  it  better,"  replied 
Louis. 

"But  it'is  almost  incredible  that  a  quartet  of  such 
Nimrods  should  have  become  disgusted  with  their 
favorite  sport  in  a  single  week,"  added  Captain 
Einggold. 

"  We  are  not  hogs,  as  Uncle  Moses  gently  sug- 
gested, and  we  could  not  eat  a  second  dinner  on  top 
of  the  first  so  soon.  If  we  had  gone  to  Borneo  a 
second  time,  after  a  reasonable  interval,  I  am  confi- 
dent we  should  have  enjoyed  a  second  week  of  hunt- 
ing, even  along  the  muddy  rivers  and  inundated 
jungles,"  Louis  explained. 


LOUIS'S  DOUBLE-DINNER   ARGUMENT       167 

"In  other  words,  you  bit  off  a  bigger  mouthful 
than  you  could  swallow,"  said  the  commander  with 
a  hearty  laugh ;  for  he  had  predicted  that  three  weeks 
of  hunting  at  one  time  was  too  much.  "  But  we  under- 
stand the  situation  now  up  to  the  time  of  the  depar- 
ture of  the  Nimrods  from  their  happy  hunting-ground. 
It  was  a  rather  daring  enterprise  to  make  a  voyage  of 
nine  hundred  miles  in  an  open  boat;  and  I  should 
like  to  ask  who  was  the  originator  of  the  idea." 

"  If  there  is  any  blame  for  this  trip,  we  were  all 
in  the  same  boat,  and  we  share  the  responsibility," 
answered  Louis.  "  Captain  Achang  Bakir  was  with 
us ;  and  he  has  sailed  in  all  the  seas  of  the  Archi- 
pelago in  an  open  boat,  and  we  had  his  advice. 
Then  we  sailed  all  the  way  to  the  entrance  of  the 
Gulf  of  Siam  in  company  with  the  steamer  Delhi, 
whose  captain  agreed  to  stand  by  us,  and  to  supply 
us  with  coal  if  we  came  short." 

"That  puts  a  new  face  on  the  matter." 

"  It  was  in  the  head  waters  of  the  Simujan  that 
the  plan  was  discussed,  and  Captain  Scott  was  the 
originator  of  the  idea,"  continued  Louis.  "  I  was  in 
favor  of  it  first  because  it  would  save  the  Guardian- 
Mother  the  voyage  from  Saigon  back  to  Kuching, 
about  a  thousand  miles." 

"  Where  is  Kuching  ? "  asked  Dr.  Hawkes. 

"It  is  the  native  name  for  Sarawak." 

"I  am  heartily  glad  you  have  come  to  us,  Louis, 
for  the  reason  you  have  given,"  added  the  com- 
mander. 


168  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  How  did  the  steam-yacht  work,  Mr.  Belgrave  ?  " 
asked  the  rajah. 

"  Exceedingly  well,  sir ;  nothing  could  have  done 
any  better;  but  Mr.  Scott  can  answer  you  better 
than  I  can,  sir." 

The  third  officer  of  the  ship,  late  captain  of  the 
Blanchita,  described  the  working  of  the  yacht,  and 
gave  her  liberal  praise.  He  related  in  what  manner 
she  had  beaten  the  Delhi  in  the  race,  and  that  he  had 
carried  sail  all  the  way  nearly  from  the  start.  He 
gave  the  party  the  routine  of  the  boat,  —  how  they  had 
taken  their  meals,  and  how  they  had  slept  on  board. 

"But  I  think  it  is  time  for  us  to  return  to  the 
Blanche,"  interposed  Captain  Sharp,  as  the  clock 
struck  eleven. 

"  I  must  make  an  announcement  before  you  go," 
said  Captain  Kinggold.  "  We  shall  not  be  able  to 
sail  for  Saigon  to-morrow  morning,  as  arranged  be- 
fore. We  have  to  clean  the  Blanchita  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  she  has  to  be  put  on  the  upper  deck  of  the 
Blanche.  As  the  Nimrods  have  come  to  Bangkok,  I 
wish  to  give  them  a  day  on  shore  to  see  the  temples, 
and  call  on  the  king  if  they  are  so  disposed.  We 
will  sail  on  Tuesday  morning  on  the  early  tide." 

"  But  we  have  not  had  any  account  of  the  adven- 
tures of  the  Nimrods  in  Borneo,"  suggested  Uncle 
Moses. 

"  We  shall  do  so  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning ; 
and  you  will  all  assemble  for  the  purpose  at  that 
time.  The  lecture  on  Siam  and  Cambodia  has  been 


LOUIS'S   DOUBLE-DINNER   ARGUMENT        169 

postponed  till  all  hands  could  hear  it ;  and  if  General 
Noury  is  ready,  that  shall  follow  the  adventures," 
replied  the  captain. 

"  I  will  be  here  at  the  time  stated,  for  we  all  desire 
to  know  what  the  Nimrods  have  been  doing,"  replied 
the  general,  as  the  party  from  the  Blanche  retired 
from  the  music-room. 

The  rest  of  the  company  went  to  their  staterooms, 
while  the  commander  gave  his  orders  for  the  work 
of  the  morning.  All  hands  were  called  at  daylight ; 
and  the  young  adventurers  shook  hands  with  the  offi- 
cers they  found  on  deck,  and  spoke  a  pleasant  word 
to  the  seamen  on  duty.  The  latter  were  hoisting  the 
coal,  provisions,  and  stores  of  the  Blanchita  on  board 
of  the  ship ;  and  by  breakfast-time  the  yacht  was  as 
clean  as  a  Dutch  chamber. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  company,  including  the 
party  from  the  Blanche,  were  seated  in  the  arm- 
chairs of  Conference  Hall ;  and  Louis  went  through 
his  narrative  of  the  adventures  of  the  Nimrods  in 
Borneo.  D-iiring  the  morning,  Achang  had  placed 
the  stuffed  orang-outang  on  a  shelf  the  carpenter  had 
erected  at  the  head  of  the  platform,  with  the  probos- 
cis monkey  on  one  side,  and  the  argus-pheasant  on 
the  other.  The  Bornean  had  had  some  experience  as 
a  taxidermist,  and  Dr.  Hawkes  declared  that  he  had 
done  his  work  well. 

Louis  explained  these  specimens,  and  gave  the 
measurements  of  the  orang.  The  proboscis  monkey 
and  the  bird  were  also  described.  When  he  said  he 


170  FOUK   YOUNG   EXPLOREKS 

had  not  been  disposed  to  shoot  monkeys  and  other 
harmless  animals  for  the  fun  of  it,  the  audience  ap- 
plauded. He  had  killed  a  specimen  of  several  ani- 
mals, and  several  pigs,  deer,  and  one  bear,  most  of 
the  latter  for  food.  The  cook  had  packed  the  last  of 
the  fish  in  the  ice,  so  that  it  had  kept  well,  and  it 
had  been  served  for  breakfast  that  morning.  Every- 
body had  praised  it.  The  surgeon  called  it  the  gou- 
rami,  and  said  that  some  successful  attempts  had 
been  made  to  introduce  the  fish  in  American  waters. 

The  audience  laughed  heartily  when  Louis  related 
in  what  manner  they  had  killed  and  sold  one  hundred 
and  eight  feet  of  crocodile  for  about  forty  dollars. 
He  told  what  he  had  learned  about  the  Dyaks,  and  de- 
scribed the  long-house  they  had  visited,  and  the  head- 
house,  and  gave  the  story  in  full  of  Rajah  Brooke, 
and  their  visits  to  his  nephew  and  successor,  the  pres- 
ent rajah.  He  might  have  gone  on  with  his  narra- 
tive till  lunch-time  if  he  had  not  known  that  General 
Noury  was  waiting  for  him  to  finish  his  account. 

"  Did  you  see  the  Dyak  women,  Louis  ?  "  asked 
his  mother. 

"  Plenty  of  them.  The  older  ones  reminded  me  of 
the  French  women ;  for  when  they  begin  to  grow  old, 
they  wrinkle  and  dry  up.  The  morality  of  the  Dyaks 
is  much  higher  in  tone,  even  among  the  laboring- 
classes,  men  and  women,  than  in  civilized  countries. 
They  are  all  honest ;  and  they  steal  nothing,  even  in 
Kuching,  though  the  Malays  and  Chinamen  do  it  for 
them." 


LOUIS'S   DOUBLE-DINNER   ARGUMENT        171 

"  Were  the  young  women  pretty,  Mr.  Belgrave  ?  " 
inquired  Mrs.  Woolridge. 

"  To  a  Dyak  gentleman  I  suppose  they  are ;  but  I 
was  not  fascinated  with  them,  though  I  saw  some  on 
the  Simujan  who  were  not  bad  looking.  The  pretti- 
est one  I  saw  was  at  a  village  near  the  mountains. 
But  the  general  is  waiting  for  me  to  finish,  and  I 
must  answer  no  more  questions  at  present,"  replied 
the  speaker,  as  he  bowed,  and  hastened  from  the  ros- 
trum. 

Then  it  was  found  that  Mr.  Gaskette  had  not  hung 
up  the  map  of  Cochin  China,  for  Achang  and  the  car- 
penter had  taken  up  the  space  before  appropriated  to 
it.  Mr.  Stevens,  the  carpenter,  suggested  a  way  to 
get  over  the  difficulty;  but  it  would  take  him  half 
an  hour  to  put  up  a  frame  in  front  of  the  orang. 

"  I  shall  not  be  able  to  get  half  through  Cochin 
China  before  lunch-time,"  said  General  Noury,  con- 
sulting his  watch. 

"  I  am  afraid  your  audience  will  be  scatterbrained, 
General,  there  is  so  much  going  on  about  the  decks. 
Perhaps  we  had  better  postpone  the  lecture  till  after 
we  have  sailed  to-morrow  morning,  especially  as  the 
Nimrods  will  be  on  shore  this  afternoon,"  suggested 
the  commander. 

"  I  approve  the  suggestion;  let  it  be  adopted." 

The  Blanche  party  lunched  on  board,  and  spent  the 
afternoon  there. 


172  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER   XIX 

A  HASTY  GLANCE  AT  BANGKOK 

WHILE  the  carpenter  and  the  second  officer  were 
busy  making  a  place  for  the  large  map  of  Cochin 
China,  the  returned  hunters  from  Borneo  were  invited 
to  the  cabin  of  the  commander.  They  were  pleased 
with  the  change  of  scene  from  the  mud  and  water 
of  their  week  in  Borneo ;  though  they  felt  that  they 
would  like  to  go  there  for  another  week  —  not  more 
than  that  —  at  another  time. 

"  After  lunch  you  will  visit  the  city  of  Bangkok, 
and  spend  the  afternoon  there ;  for  you  ought  to  see 
the  place,  as  you  are  here,"  said  Captain  Einggold. 
"  It  is  a  large  city." 

"  How  large  is  it,  Captain  ?  "  asked  Louis. 

"  That  is  more  than  anybody  in  Siam,  or  anywhere 
else,  can  tell  you.  In  these  Oriental  countries,  when 
they  count  the  people,  they  do  not  include  the  females 
in  the  enumeration,  so  that  we  get  but  half  an  idea 
of  the  whole  number.  Chambers  puts  it  at  300,000 ; 
the  <Year  Book'  does  not  give  it  at  all;  Bradshaw 
puts  it  down  at  500,000 ;  Lippincott  the  same. 
Probably  the  larger  number  is  the  nearer  correct, 
and  the  authorities  quoted  are  issued  the  present 
year." 


A  HASTY   GLANCE  AT  BANGKOK  173 

"  I  see  no  end  of  Chinamen  flitting  about  the  river," 
said  Scott. 

"They  compose  about  one-half  of  the  population  of 
the  city ;  and  most  of  the  trade  of  the  place  is  in  their 
hands,  as  you  have  found  it  to  be,  though  to  a  less 
degree,  in  other  cities  you  have  visited  in  the  East. 
The  Celestials  are  taxed  three  dollars  when  they 
come  into  Siam,  and  pay  the  same  amount  every  three 
years.  But  there  is  the  lunch-bell.  If  you  have 
no  objection,  Professor  Giroud  will  go  on  shore  with 
you." 

"  I  should  be  delighted  to  have  his  company,"  re- 
plied Louis ;  and  the  others  said  the  same  thing. 

The  conversation  at  the  table  related  more  to  Bor- 
neo than  to  anything  else,  and  the  Nimrods  had  all 
the  questions  they  could  answer  put  to  them;  and 
some  of  the  ladies  wished  they  had  remained  there  a 
few  days. 

"  If  I  had  supposed  the  Nimrods  would  stay  there 
only  a  week,  I  should  have  been  quite  willing  to  re- 
main at  Sarawak  that  time,"  added  the  commander. 

"We  fixed  the  time  at  three  weeks  because  we 
thought  it  would  take  you  all  of  that  time  to  see 
Siam  and  Cambodia,  and  get  back  to  Sarawak,"  re- 
plied Scott. 

"  I  think  it  would  have  been  delightful  to  sail  on 
those  rivers,  and  see  the  uncivilized  people  of  the 
island,"  added  Mrs.  Belgrave.  "  But  I  suppose  we 
should  have  been  in  the  way  of  the  hunters." 

"  Not  at  all,  madam,"  answered  Scott.     "  We  had 


174  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

a  sampan,  in  which  we  could  have  done  our  hunting, 
while  you  were  examining  the  long-houses  and  the 
head-houses.  I  don't  know  but  that  we  should  have 
wished  to  remain  the  whole  three  weeks  if  the  ladies 
had  been  with  us." 

"  Gallant  Captain  Scott !  "  exclaimed  the  lady. 

"We  did  not  go  up  the  Kajang  Eiver  as  we  in- 
tended, and  we  should  have  done  that  if  you  had  been 
with  us.  I  am  very  sure  the  Dyak  ladies  would  have 
been  delighted  to  see  you,  more  than  you  would  have 
been  to  see  them,"  replied  Scott. 

"The  steam-yacht  must  have  been  very  delight- 
ful on  the  rivers  and  lakes ;  but  the  crocodiles,  the 
snakes,  and  the  savage  orang-outangs  would  not 
have  been  pleasant  to  us." 

"  But  with  eleven  Winchester  repeating-rifles  ready 
for  use,  you  would  have  had  nothing  to  fear." 

Captain  Einggold  rose  from  the  table;  and  this 
terminated  the  conversation,  and  the  party  went 
on  deck. 

"Captain  Einggold  said  you  had  offered  to  go 
on  shore  with  us,  Professor  Giroud,"  said  Louis,  as 
he  joined  the  instructor.  "We  shall  be  delighted 
with  your  company." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Belgrave.  I  have  been  on  shore 
every  day,  with  or  without  the  party,  and  have 
learned  something  about  Bangkok.  I  may  be  of 
service  to  you,"  replied  the  professor. 

"I  am  sure  you  will,"  said  Scott. 

The    first    cutter   was   in  the   water   when   they 


A    HASTY   GLANCE   AT   BANGKOK  175 

reached  the  gangway,  with  the  crew  in  their  places. 
They  went  on  board,  and  the  bowman  shoved  off. 
Stoody,  the  coxswain,  gave  the  orders,  and  the  boat 
was  immediately  under  way.  She  was  steered  to- 
wards the  shore  till  she  came  abreast  of  the  various 
craft  moored  there,  and  then  headed  up  the  river. 

"Where  are  you  going,  Stoody?"  asked  Scott. 

"  Captain  Kinggold  told  me  to  take  the  party 
up  the  river,  to  show  them  the  boats  and  houses," 
replied  the  coxswain. 

"That  is  a  good  idea,  Mr.  Scott,"  added  the  pro- 
fessor. 

"  The  houses  here  are  all  afloat,"  said  Morris. 
"They  are  three  or  four  deep." 

"Everybody  is  not  allowed  to  build  his  house 
on  shore ;  for  that  is  a  royal  privilege,  doled  out  to 
a  few  of  the  highest  nobility,"  said  the  professor. 
"I  suppose  there  is  not  room  enough  in  the  crty 
for  much  besides  the  palaces  and  the  temples,  but 
beyond  its  limits  we  shall  find  plenty  of  land- 
houses." 

"But  I  should  think  these  floating  houses  would 
be  smashed  to  pieces  in  a  heavy  blow;  and  I  see 
there  are  plenty  of  steamers  and  tugboats  in  the 
river,  which  might  bump  against  them,"  Morris 
objected. 

"You  see  that  the  middle  of  the  river  is  kept 
open,  though  it  is  very  crooked;  and  these  things 
regulate  themselves." 

"These    houses    are    no   better    than    card-boxes. 


176  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

They  seem  to  be  built  of  bamboos,  with  wicker- 
work  and  plants.  Each  of  them  has  a  veranda 
in  front,  which  is  a  nice  place  to  sit  and  read, 
with  a  kind  of  ell  at  each  end.  I  think  I  should 
like  to  live  in  one  of  them  for  a  week  or  two," 
continued  Morris. 

"You  would  not  like  it,"  said  Achang,  who  had 
come  with  them  to  act  as  interpreter. 

"This  is  a  walled  town,  with  six  miles  of  forti- 
fications around  it." 

"A  little  less  than  two  miles  across  it;  and  we 
shall  not  have  to  take  any  very  long  walks,  for  I 
have  read  that  carriages  are  seldom  seen  except 
among  the  palaces,  and  probably  belong  to  the 
nobility,"  said  Louis;  "but  we  are  good  for  six 
miles  this  afternoon." 

"The  river  is  the  great  thoroughfare  for  busi- 
ness and  for  pleasure.  It  is  covered  with  boats 
of  all  sorts  and  kinds.  The  walls  of  the  city  are 
from  fifteen  to  thirty  feet  high,  and  twelve  feet 
thick ;  but  I  suppose  the  heavy  guns  of  modern 
times  could  knock  them  down  in  a  very  short 
time,"  added  the  professor. 

"What  is  that  opening  into  the  river?"  asked 
Felix,  who  had  kept  his  tongue  very  quiet  so  far. 

"That  is  a  canal,"  replied  Achang,  as  the  pro- 
fessor did  not  reply.  "  I  have  been  here  three 
times,  and  once  I  went  up  that  canal.  There  are 
only  a  few  good  streets  in  the  city,  and  inside 
business  is  carried  on  by  the  canals." 


A  HASTY  GLANCE  AT  BANGKOK      177 

"  As  Paris  is  to  France,  and  Paris  is  France,  so 
Bangkok  is  Siam;  and  that  is  the  reason  why  the 
commander  goes  no  farther.  Now  we  have  come 
to  the  wall,  and  you  can  see  the  outside  town." 

"  The  houses  here  are  all  on  stilts,  as  in  Sumatra 
and  Borneo,"  observed  Scott.  "Some  of  them  are 
built  over  the  water." 

"  It  is  said  here  that  the  city  suffered  terribly 
from  the  ravages  of  cholera ;  and  when  the  king 
found  out  that  the  disease  was  caused  by  the  bad 
drainage  of  the  houses,  he  ordered  his  people  to 
build  on  the  river,  where  the  drainage  would  dis- 
pose of  itself,"  said  Professor  Giroud.  "  This  story 
was  told  me  by  a  Frenchman  here,  but  I  cannot 
vouch  for  the  truth  of  the  statement." 

"  Can  you  tell  me,  Achang,  why  they  build  their 
houses  on  piles  in  this  country  ?  "  asked  Morris. 

"  Because  they  have  waterations  here." 

"  Have  what  ?  "  demanded  the  questioner,  while 
all  the  party  laughed  except  the  Bornean.  "  I  never 
heard  of  watexations  before." 

"  When  the  water  rise  up  high,"  Achang  explained. 

"  Inundations,  you  mean." 

"  Yes  ;  thunderations,"  added  Achang. 

"  Inundations  ! "  roared  the  Bornean's  preceptor. 

"That's  what  I  say;  and  that's  the  first  reason. 
The  second  is  that  there  are  many  snakes"  — 

"  Then,  it's  the  place  for  me  ! "  exclaimed  Felix. 

"  Many  snakes  and  wild  beasts ;  the  stilts  help  to 
keep  them  out  of  the  house." 


178  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"  But  most  snakes  can  climb  trees,"  Scott  objected. 

"  Fixed  so  that  snake  can't  get  off  the  post  into 
house,"  the  Bornean  explained. 

"  The  little  corn-houses  in  New  England  and  other 
places  are  protected  in  the  same  way  from  rats. 
Four  posts  are  set  up  for  it  to  rest  on,  with  a  flat 
stone,  or  sometimes  a  large  tin  pan  turned  upside 
down,  placed  on  the  post.  When  the  building  is 
erected  with  the  corners  on  the  large,  flat  stone  or 
the  pans,  rats  or  other  rodents  cannot  get  over  these 
obstructions,  and  the  corn  is  safe  from  them,"  con- 
tinued Louis,  illustrating  his  subject  with  a  pencil  for 
the  post,  and  his  hand  for  the  stone  or  the  pan. 

Scott,  who  was  an  officer  of  the  ship,  ordered 
Stoody  to  take  the  party  to  the  landing  nearest  to 
the  Temple  of  Wat  Chang,  as  the  professor  re- 
quested. 

"The  religion  of  Siam,  like  that  of  Burma,  is 
Buddhist,  in  whose  honor  most  of  the  temples  whose 
spires  you  can  see  are  erected,"  said  the  professor,  as 
he  pointed  to  several  of  them. 

"  We  don't  care  to  see  them  in  detail,  even  if  we 
had  the  time,"  suggested  Louis.  "  I  know  they  are 
magnificent  pieces  of  architecture,  and  wonderful  to 
behold ;  but  we  have  had  about  enough  of  that  sort 
of  thing." 

The  party  landed,  and  walked  to  the  temple.  It 
looked  like  an  exaggerated  bell,  the  spire  being  the 
handle,  and  the  lower  portion  looking  like  an  enor- 
mous flight  of  circular  stairs  for  the  roof.  It  was 


A   HASTY   GLANCE   AT   BANGKOK  179 

over  two  hundred  feet  high.  Attached  to  it  in  the 
rear  was  a  structure  with  a  pitched  roof.  They 
bought  photographs  of  it  at  the  stand  of  a  native 
who  spoke  a  little  French.  At  this  point  Achang  pro- 
cured a  guide  who  spoke  French,  and  he  conducted 
them  to  the  Temple  of  the  Sleeping  Idol. 

"  It  is  not  much  of  a  temple  compared  with  the 
one  we  have  just  visited,"  said  the  professor.  "  We 
must  go  into  it." 

They  entered,  conducted  by  the  guide.  The  build- 
ing looked  like  three  pitched-roof  structures  set 
together,  the  middle  one  into  the  largest  at  the 
bottom,  and  the  smallest  into  the  middle  one.  It 
contains  an  enormous  figure  of  Buddha,  one  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  long,  which  about  fills  the  interior  of 
the  temple.  It  is  constructed  of  brick,  plastered  and 
then  gilded,  so  that  it  looks  like  a  golden  statue  in 
a  reclining  posture.  The  feet  are  sixteen  feet  long, 
and  the  arms  six  feet  in  diameter. 

The  party  looked  in  at  another  temple,  which  con- 
tains a  brass^  statue  of  Buddha  fifty  feet  high,  with 
other  smaller  statues,  and  a  variety  of  objects  that 
were  unintelligible  to  the  visitors.  Various  other  tem- 
ples were  examined  hastily  on  the  way  to  the  royal 
palace,  but  they  were  only  a  repetition  of  what  they 
had  often  seen  before. 

The  palace  was  a  magnificent  building,  or  series 
of  buildings,  for  a  half-civilized  country.  The  tour- 
ists were  permitted  to  enter  at  the  gate,  though  the 
guide  was  excluded.  They  saw  a  squad  of  the  royal 


180  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

guards  who  were  drilling  on  the  pavement,  and  they 
regarded  them  with  great  interest.  They  wore  a 
Zouave  uniform,  though  with  a  short  frock-coat  but- 
toned to  the  chin,  with  round  caps  in  cylindrical  form, 
and  visors.  They  were  armed  with  muskets,  and 
commanded  by  native  officers. 

"This  palace  is  a  big  thing,"  said  the  professor, 
"and  is  a  mile  in  circumference,  surrounded  by 
walls." 

It  contained,  besides  the  palace  of  the  king,  the 
public  offices,  temples,  a  theatre,  barracks  for  several 
thousand  soldiers,  and  apartments  for  three  thousand 
women,  six  hundred  of  whom  are  the  wives  of  the 
king.  But  what  interested  them  more  than  most  of 
the  sights  was  the  famous  white  elephant.  He  is  said 
to  be  of  equal  rank  with  the  king,  and  is  treated  with 
all  possible  deference  and  respect.  He  has  a  palatial 
stable ;  and  being  a  king,  he  lives  like  one.  His  ser- 
vants and  attendants  are  all  priests.  But  he  is  not 
a  pleasant  sprig  of  royalty,  and  the  visitors  were 
warned  not  to  go  too  near  him. 

But  it  was  time  to  return  to  the  ship,  and  they 
found  the  boat  in  the  canal  which  Achang  had  indi- 
cated. At  dinner  the  conversation  was  concerning 
the  city,  and  the  party  mentioned  many  things  the 
Nimrods  had  not  seen.  On  Tuesday  morning  the 
ship  sailed  on  her  voyage  to  Saigon. 


A  VIEW   OF   COCHIN   CHINA  AND   SIAM       181 


CHAPTEE   XX 

A    VIEW    OF    COCHIN    CHINA    AND    SIAM 

THE  ship  sailed  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  but 
nearly  all  the  passengers  were  on  deck  as  soon  as 
the  screw  began  to  turn.  They  were  still  in  the 
Torrid  Zone ;  and  they  saw  the  sun  rise,  though  the 
days  had  become  a  trifle  longer.  The  Menam  River 
is  the  great  thoroughfare  of  Bangkok,  and  the  float- 
ing houses  lined  the  river  three  or  four  deep  for  a 
considerable  distance  below  the  city.  The  party 
found  plenty  of  objects  to  engage  their  attention  as 
the  steamer  slowly  made  her  way  towards  the  Gulf. 
Breakfast  was  served  at  the  usual  hour ;  and  as  soon 
as  the  pilot  was  discharged,  the  company  gathered  at 
Conference  Hall  for  the  lecture. 

The  siamaags  and  the  baby  were  still  great  favor- 
ites with  all  on  board ;  and  Mr.  Mingo,  Mrs.  Mingo, 
and  Miss  Mingo,  as  they  had  been  named,  had  made 
great  progress  in  civilization.  All  of  them  were 
regular  attendants  at  the  meetings  in  Conference 
Hall,  and  always  behaved  themselves  with  the  great- 
est propriety.  The  mother  usually  occupied  one  of 
the  arm-chairs,  while  the  baby  was  held  in  the  lap 
of  one  of  the  ladies.  They  looked  at  the  speaker 
just  as  though  they  understood  what  he  was  saying. 


182  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

They  joined  in  the  applause  when  the  lecturer  pre- 
sented himself  before  his  audience  with  their  "Ka, 
ra,  ra ! "  finishing  with  the  squeak  which  was  a 
part  of  their  language. 

General  Noury  took  his  place  on  the  platform  after 
he  had  shaken  hands  with  Mrs.  Mingo,  who  gave 
him  an  encouraging  smile  as  he  mounted  the  ros- 
trum. The  Sumatra  lady  looked  at  him  very  earn- 
estly, and  Miss  Blanche  declared  that  she  understood 
everything  that  was  going  on.  Mrs.  Noury,  the 
Princess  Zuleima,  had  the  baby;  and  the  little  sia- 
mang  seemed  to  take  as  much  interest  in  the  proceed- 
ings as  her  mother.  Mr.  Mingo  was  not  literary,  and 
perched  in  the  fore-rigging. 

The  great  map  seemed  to  have  been  drawn  and 
colored  with  even  unusual  care,  perhaps  because  Mr. 
Gaskette  had  had  more  time  to  attend  to  it.  It 
was  displayed  on  the  new  frame  which  the  carpenter 
had  built  for  it,  and  included  the  entire  peninsula 
east  of  the  Burmese  possessions,  and  south  of  China 
and  the  Shan  States.  When  the  applause  which 
greeted  the  general  had  subsided,  he  directed  the 
pointer  at  the  map. 

"  Perhaps  some  of  you  will  be  considerably  confused 
by  the  various  names  of  the  territory  we  are  engaged 
in  visiting  at  the  present  time,"  he  began ;  and  Mrs. 
Mingo  gave  a  louder  squeak  than  usual  as  a  special 
greeting  to  the  distinguished  gentleman.  "  Cochin 
China,  I  think,  is  the  most  common  name,  though 
Indo-China  is  very  generally  used.  It  is  also  called 


A   VIEW   OF   COCHIN   CHINA  AND   SIAM       183 

Farther  India  and  Annam.  Its  various  divisions  are 
the  Shan  States,  tributary  to  Siam,  taking  their  name 
from  a  race  of  people  who  are  of  the  same  descent 
as  the  natives  of  China.  You  observe  that  there  are 
more  of  these  states  in  the  territory  of  Burma,  to 
which  they  are  subject.  These  states  tributary  to 
Siam  contain  a  population  of  about  two  millions. 

"Next  south  comes  Siam  proper.  Lying  east  of 
the  Shan  States  and  Siam  is  a  territory  called  the 
Little  Lao  States,  which  are  subject  to  the  several 
countries  around  them.  On  the  east,  bordering  on 
the  China  Sea,  is  Annam,  a  part  of  which  is  some- 
times labelled  Cochin  China.  A  part  of  Annam  is 
Tonquin,  in  the  north,  next  to  China.  What  is 
called  Cambodia,  next  south  of  Siam,  and  appearing 
to  be  a  part  of  it,  is  an  indefinite  factor  of  Cochin 
China,  and  may  properly  enough  be  counted  in  with 
Siam.  What  is  called  Independent  Cambodia,  if  it 
is  independent,  is  a  triangular  country  south-east  of 
Siam.  French  Cochin  China  occupies  the  most  south- 
ern portion  of  the  peninsula. 

"Nearly  the  whole  of  the  territory  of  Cochin 
China  is  under  the  protection  of  France ;  and  in  my 
judgment,  which  you  can  accept  for  what  it  is  worth, 
the  whole  peninsula  will  eventually  become  French, 
under  whatever  form  it  may  be  accomplished.  Very 
recently  the  relations  between  France  and  Siam  were 
very  much  strained  over  a  disputed  boundary  ques- 
tion. France  had  ships  of  war  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Menam,  and  sent  some  of  the  smaller  craft  up  the 


184  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

river.  It  looked  very  much  like  war ;  but  before  the 
ships  bombarded  Bangkok,  Siam  yielded,  and  gave 
up  the  portion  of  territory  claimed;  and  no  doubt 
it  will  be  the  same  story  told  over  again  from  time 
to  time,  until  Siam  exists  only  as  a  dependency  of 
France. 

"Though  you  see  mountains  laid  down  on  Mr. 
Gaskette's  map,  the  elevations  hardly  deserve  that 
name ;  for  nearly  the  whole  of  Cochin  China  is  low 
ground,  almost  flat.  The  Mekhong  River  is  the  lar- 
gest in  the  peninsula,  being  2,800  miles  long.  It 
rises  in  Thibet,  and  is  navigable  only  in  its  lower 
waters.  On  account  of  the  low  level  of  the  country 
there  are  many  canals,  or  bayous  as  you  call  them  in 
Louisiana,  which  connect  many  of  the  rivers.  Let 
us  now  return  to  Siam.  By  the  way,  I  find  the  latest 
map  I  have  seen  of  this  region  in  Chambers^,  pub- 
lished last  year;  and  it  is  quite  different  from  the 
one  before  you." 

"  But  not  from  the  one  that  will  be  before  you  in 
half  a  minute  more,"  interposed  Mr.  Gaskette,  as  he 
unrolled  and  hung  up  a  smaller  one  which  he  had 
just  completed.  "I  made  this  one  this  morning, 
after  the  commander  had  shown  me  the  one  to  which 
you  allude ;  and  you  can  see  that  it  is  a  very  crude 
one." 

"  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Gaskette,  for  the  new  map ; 
and  though  you  took  it  from  a  book  not  more  than 
a  year  old,  I  am  afraid  that  it  is  not  entirely  correct 
for  to-day.  You  observe,  my  friends,  that  Siam 


A  VIEW   OF  COCHIN   CHINA  AND  SIAM       185 

occupies  nearly  the  whole  of  the  peninsula  east  of 
Burma.  Annam  is  cut  down  to  a  very  thin  slice  on 
the  China  Sea ;  and  Tonquin,  where  France  has  kept 
many  soldiers  employed  for  several  years,  is  swelled 
into  a  considerable  territory.  I  doubt  if  the  last 
change  in  the  boundary  of  Siam  is  shown  before  you. 
The  limits  of  Cambodia  are  closely  defined. 

"  Nearly  the  whole  of  the  peninsula  was  included 
in  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Cambodia,  existing  at 
the  Christian  era ;  and  Buddhism  is  believed  to  have 
been  introduced  into  it  in  the  fourth  century.  Some 
remarkable  ruins,  with  interesting  sculptures,  have 
been  found  as  testimonials  to  the  greatness  of  this 
ancient  country.  The  Temple  of  Angkor  had  1,532 
columns,  and  the  stone  for  the  structure  was  brought 
from  a  quarry  thirty-two  miles  distant.  Massive 
bridges,  so  solidly  built  that  they  have  resisted  the 
ravages  of  time  and  the  inundations  of  more  than 
a  thousand  years,  are  still  to  be  seen.  One  of  them 
is  four  hundred  and  seventy  feet  long,  and  has 
thirty-four  arches.  An  account  of  these  wonders 
was  given  by  a  Chinese  traveller  of  the  thirteenth 
century,  and  they  seem  to  bear  some  comparison 
with  the  works  of  the  ancient  Egyptians. 

"  The  native  name  of  Siam  is  Muang  Thai,  which 
you  will  please  to  remember ;  and  I  mention  it  only 
to  tell  you  that  it  means  'The  Land  of  the  Free/ 
and  it  must  be  a  first  cousin  of  your  country,  Mr. 
Commander ;  but  I  suppose  you  will  not  accept  the 
relationship  because  '  The  Home  of  the  Brave '  is 


186  FOUR  YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

not  included.  Siam  has  an  area  of  about  250,000 
square  miles,  as  estimated  by  geographers ;  and  one 
authority  gives  it  a  population  of  6,000,000,  and 
another  8,000,000,  but  they  agree  in  giving  it  2,000- 
000  Siamese,  and  1,000,000  Chinese.  The  rest  of 
the  number  is  made  up  with  Malays,  Laosians,  and 
other  tribes. 

"  The  Menam  Eiver  is  six  hundred  miles  long,  and 
it  has  several  branches.  On  the  banks  of  these 
streams  very  nearly  all  the  people  live,  for  the 
regions  away  from  them  are  a  wild  jungle  which  is 
not  cultivated.  The  country  is  healthy  enough  for 
a  tropical  region,  though  malarial  fevers  are  very 
trying  to  European  residents  and  visitors.  The  wet 
season  is  from  May  to  November,  when  it  rains 
about  every  day ;  and  the  rest  of  the  year  it  does  not 
rain  at  all.  The  average  rainfall  is  fifty-four  inches 
a  year,  and  the  average  temperature  81°,  though  the 
glass  goes  up  to  94°  in  April ;  but  New  York  beats 
that  in  summer. 

"Agriculture  stands  at  a  low  ebb;  but  the  abun- 
dant rains  and  the  rich  soil  produce  very  large 
harvests  of  rice,  the  principal  crop,  and  all  the 
productions  of  the  Torrid  Zone  thrive.  The  labor 
of  Siam  is  done  by  Chinese  coolies;  for  the  native 
workers  are  hampered  by  a  law  which  requires  them 
to  give  one-fourth  of  their  labor  to  the  state.  Domes- 
tic elephants  are  used  in  hauling  timber,  —  for  teak 
is  one  of  the  products  of  the  forests,  —  and  also  for 
travel  and  as  bearers  of  burdens.  Wild  elephants  are 


A   VIEW   OF   COCHIN   CHINA  AND   SIAM       187 

hunted  and  trapped  in  Slam ;  and  tigers,  bears,  deer, 
monkeys,  and  wild  pigs  abound  in  the  jungles.  Croc- 
odiles live  at  the  mouths  of  the  rivers  ;  and  the  cobra, 
python,  and  other  reptiles  are  plentiful  enough. 

"  The  Siamese  are  peaceable  people,  lazy,  and  with- 
out what  you  call  <  snap/  They  are  fond  of  jewelry 
and  high  colors.  They  are  rather  small  in  stature, 
and  very  like  the  natives  of  the  several  islands  you 
have  visited.  They  live  for  the  most  part  on  rice, 
used  largely  in  various  curries,  dried  fish  in  small 
quantities,  though  the  rivers  and  sea  swarm  with 
fish.  Tea  is  the  favorite  beverage,  taken  without 
sugar  or  milk.  Though  they  distil  an  intoxicating 
liquor  from  rice,  a  tipsy  person  is  rarely  seen.  They 
chew  betel-nut,  males  and  females;  and  their  teeth 
are  always  black,  which  is  their  ideal  of  beauty,  and 
they  use  other  materials  to  make  them  black  and 
shining. 

"The  worst  vice  of  the  Siamese  is  gambling;  but 
it  can  be  practised  only  in  houses  licensed  by  the 
government,  though  on  certain  holidays,  New  Year's 
in  April  especially,  the  people  are  privileged  to 
gamble  at  home,  or  even  in  the  streets.  Marriages 
are  arranged  by  women  of  mature  age.  The  birth- 
days of  the  contracting  parties  must  be  agreeable ; 
for  the  people  are  superstitious,  and  consult  the  stars 
for  their  horoscopes.  The  old  ladies  agree  upon  the 
amount  of  money  the  parents  of  the  bride  and  groom 
must  pay  to  set  up  the  young  couple  in  life.  The 
ceremonies  last  three  days  or  more ;  and  the  principal 


188  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

observance  is  the  chewing  of  betel,  winding  up  with 
a  feast  to  all  the  friends.  Priests  are  sometimes 
called  in  to  say  prayers,  and  sprinkle  the  couple  with 
consecrated  water. 

"  The  Siamese  believe  that  the  arteries  of  the  body 
are  filled  with  air,  and  that  disease  is  caused  by 
some  disturbance  in  these  internal  breezes.  A  wind 
blows  on  the  heart,  and  bursts  it,  causing  death  by 
1  heart  failure.'  Almost  everything  is  pressed  into 
the  materia  medico,  for  service,  including  such  things 
as  cats'  eyes,  the  bile  of  snakes,  sea-shells,  horns, 
and  probably  dogs'  tails,  kittens'  teeth,  and  monkeys' 
tongues.  Doctors  are  paid  by  the  job,  and  not  by 
the  number  of  visits.  The  price  of  a  cure  is  agreed 
upon ;  and  if  the  patient  dies,  or  fails  to  get  better, 
the  physician  gets  nothing. 

"  After  poor  people,  dying,  have  been  kept  a  few 
days,  they  are  cremated,  as  in  India ;  but  they  keep 
a  high  noble  nearly  a  year  before  they  commit  his 
remains  to  the  fire.  When  called  upon,  a  Siamese 
farmer  or  other  person  is  compelled  by  law  to  fur- 
nish transportation  and  board  to  travelling  officials. 
The  law  of  debit  and  credit  is  curious,  and  amounts 
to  actual  slavery.  A  man  may  borrow  money,  and 
give  his  person  for  security.  If  he  fails  to  pay  as 
agreed,  the  creditor  can  put  him  in  irons,  if  need 
be,  and  compel  him  to  work  for  him  till  the  debt  is 
discharged,  —  the  principal  only,  for  his  labor  is  the 
equivalent  of  the  interest. 

"  Missionaries  are  sent  here  from  America,  includ- 


A   VIEW   OF  COCHIN  CHINA  AND   SIAM       189 

ing  many  female  physicians ;  and  they  have  a  great 
deal  of  influence  among  the  natives. 

"The  present  king  of  Siam  is  Chulalongkorn  I. 
The  former  system  of  having  the  country  ruled  by 
two  kings  has  been  abolished,  and  the  present  mon- 
arch is  the  only  king;  and  I  never  could  find  out 
what  the  second  king  was  for.  The  throne  is  now 
hereditary,  but  the  king  formerly  had  the  privilege  of 
naming  his  own  successor.  Chulalongkorn  is  an  ami- 
able and  dignified  ruler,  well  educated,  and  speaks 
English  fluently.  The  laws  are  made  by  the  king 
in  connection  with  a  council  of  ministers.  The  forty- 
one  provinces  of  the  kingdom  are  in  charge  of  com- 
missioners appointed  by  the  king.  Such  a  thing  as 
justice  is  hardly  known,  and  what  there  is  of  it  is 
very  badly  managed.  Thieving  and  plundering  are 
carried  on  almost  without  check  in  Bangkok,  which 
includes  about  all  there  is  of  Siam  except  a  great 
deal  of  spare  territory,  and  property  is  very  unsafe 
there.  I  think  I  have  wearied  you,  Mr.  Commander, 
and  ladies  ancj  gentlemen." 

"  Not  at  all ! "  shouted  several. 

"Did  you  ever  see  the  Siamese  twins,  General 
Noury  ?  "  inquired  Uncle  Moses. 

"  I  never  did ; ,  but  I  have  read  about  them,  and 
looked  them  up  this  morning,"  replied  the  lecturer. 
"  They  were  born  in  Siam  in  1811,  but  their  parents 
were  Chinese.  I  don't  quite  understand  in  what 
manner  they  were  united." 

"There  was  a  ligament,  which  looked  something 


190  FOUR    YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

like  a  small  wrist,  reaching  from  one  to  the  other  at 
the  breast-bones.  Their  garments  were  open  enough 
to  enable  the  spectators  to  see  this  connection. 
There  was  a  great  deal  of  speculation  among  the 
doctors  about  them,  I  remember,  and  it  was  even 
proposed  to  separate  them  with  the  knife;  but  that 
was  never  done,  for  it  would  have  spoiled  the  ex- 
hibition business,"  the  trustee  explained. 

"They  were  purchased  of  their  mother  at  Mek- 
long  by  an  American  in  1829,  and  taken  to  the 
United  States,  where  they  were  exhibited  all  over 
the  country,  and  then  taken  to  England.  It  was 
a  good  speculation  to  Mr.  Hunter  and  to  Chang  and 
Eng,  the  twins;  for  they  all  made  their  fortunes. 
They  were  married  to  two  sisters,  and  settled  in 
North  Carolina,  where  they  had  children.  They  lost 
their  property  in  the  Civil  War,  and  again  exhibited 
themselves  in  England  in  1869.  They  died  in  1874, 
one  living  two  hours  and  a  half  after  the  death  of 
the  other." 

The  general  retired  from  the  rostrum ;  and  the 
party  separated,  Mrs.  Mingo  ascending  the  fore-rig- 
ging, while  the  others  went  to  various  parts  of  the 
ship  to  see  the  shores,  which  were  still  in  sight. 


ON   THE   VOYAGE  TO  SAIGON  191 


CHAPTER  XXI 

ON   THE    VOYAGE   TO    SAIGON 

THE  steamer  was  obliged  to  descend  the  Menam  at 
less  than  half  speed,  to  avoid  running  down  any  of 
the  multitude  of  boats  and  vessels  that  thronged  the 
river,  and  because  the  stream  was  so  crooked. 

"  How  far  do  you  think  Bangkok  is  from  the  Gulf, 
Captain  Ringgold  ?  "  asked  the  general,  at  the  close 
of  the  session. 

"  About  twenty  miles,"  replied  the  commander. 

"One  description  of  the  city  that  I  have  read 
makes  it  forty  miles,  another  twenty-six,  and  three 
others  make  it  twenty  miles,"  added  the  pacha; 
"and  I  suppose  the  last  is  the  right  distance." 

"I  have  come  to  that  conclusion  after  consulting 
all  the  books  we  have  on  the  subject.  You  have 
said  the  second  king  of  Burma  had  been  abolished, 
General ;  are  you  confident  that  such  is  the  case  ? 
We  certainly  did  not  see  him,  and  I  did  not  hear 
anything  about  him,"  added  the  captain. 

"  In  the  first  place,  I  consider  Chambers  excellent 
authority,  and  you  have  the  latest  edition  in  the 
library,  and  the  date  is  last  year;  and  it  says  in 
so  many  words  that  the  second  has  been  done  away 
with.  The  king  who  was  the  father  of  Chulalong- 


192  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

korn  died  in  1868.  His  prime  minister  was  a  pro- 
gressive man,  who  introduced  many  reforms  in  Siam ; 
and  I  am  sure  that  he  could  not  have  helped  seeing 
the  absurdity  of  the  second  king.  The  present  king 
is  well  educated,  and  also  a  progressive  man,  as  his 
father  was  not.  I  am  sorry  we  did  not  look  the 
matter  up,  which  we  might  easily  have  done  with 
the  assistance  of  the  missionaries.  But  I  am  satis- 
fied that  I  was  correct  in  regard  to  the  statement." 

In  the  course  of  another  hour  the  ship  came  to 
the  mouth  of  the  river.  Crocodiles  appear  to  prefer 
the  mouth  of  a  stream,  and  a  considerable  number 
were  seen  at  the  entrance  to  a  canal  or  cut-off. 
The  pilot  stopped  the  screw,  and  backed  it,  in  order 
to  avoid  a  collision  with  a  couple  of  vessels  in  the 
channel.  As  the  two  vessels  were  under  sail,  it 
looked  as  though  it  would  be  some  time  before  the 
channel  was  clear ;  and  the  "  Big  Four  "  hastened  to 
their  staterooms  for  their  repeating-rifles. 

Their  appearance  thus  armed  created  a  sensation 
on  the  upper  deck,  and  all  the  party  secured  positions 
where  they  could  see  the  sport.  Mrs.  Belgrave  man- 
ifested some  anxiety  when  she  saw  the  arms,  for  she 
was  somewhat  afraid  of  such  weapons. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  Louis?"  she  asked 
as  her  son  passed  her. 

"  Don't  you  see  that  there  are  a  dozen  crocodiles 
at  the  mouth  of  that  cut-off,  mother  ?  "  replied  Louis. 
"We  are  going  to  shoot  some  of  them." 

"But  you  can't  get  them  if  you  do  kill  them." 


ON   THE   VOYAGE  TO   SAIGON  193 

"  We  don't  want  to  get  them.  They  are  not  good 
for  anything  to  us." 

"  Then,  why  do  you  want  to  kill  them  ?  They  do 
you  no  harm,"  protested  the  lady. 

"But  they  would  if  they  got  the  chance.  Sup- 
pose by  any  accident  some  one  should  fall  overboard ; 
those  brutes  would  snap  the  person  up  as  a  fish  snaps 
the  bait,"  answered  Louis.  "  In  Borneo  they  are  reg- 
ular man-eaters,  more  dangerous  than  sharks;  and 
I  have  no  doubt  they  are  the  same  here.  As  I  told 
you,  they  pay  so  much  a  foot  for  killing  them  in  that 
island.  Ask  the  pilot  how  it  is  here,  mother." 

Achang  was  called,  and  was  asked  to  inquire  of 
the  Siamese  if  the  crocodiles  were  dangerous.  He 
promptly  replied  that  they  were  not  only  dangerous, 
but  a  nuisance ;  for  they  went  ashore  and  swallowed 
all  small  animals,  and  even  attacked  a  cow.  The 
lady  offered  no  further  objection.  She  only  hoped 
the  Nimrods  would  not  shoot  each  other;  and  they 
descended  to  the  platform  of  the  gangway,  which 
had  not  yet  been  hoisted  up,  and  the  crack  of  their 
rifles  was  soon  heard. 

Each  of  the  rifles  could  send  out  nine  bullets,  fixed 
ammunition,  contained  in  cartridges,  nine  of  which 
was  the  capacity  of  the  magazine.  Those  on  deck 
watched  the  group  of  saurians ;  but  Louis  fired  the 
first  shot,  and  immediately  there  was  a  sensation 
among  the  reptiles.  One  of  them  made  a  spring, 
and  came  over  on  his  back. 

"  Mr.  Belgrave  fired  that  shot,"   said  Achang  to 


194  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLOilEKS 

the  hunter's  mother.  "He  is  dead  shot,  and  he 
never  miss  his  aim." 

"  There  is  another  turning  over  on  his  back," 
added  the  lady. 

"  I  think  Mr.  McGavonty  fired  that  one ;  for  he  is 
a  dead  shot  too,  but  not  quite  so  sure  as  Mr.  Bel- 
grave,"  said  Achang ;  and  he  was  correct  in  his 
supposition.  Both  of  them  hit  the  crocodile  in 
the  eye. 

The  next  report  that  reached  the  ears  of  the  party 
was  followed  by  five  more  in  quick  succession;  and 
the  Bornean  explained  that  the  hunter  had  missed 
his  aim  five  times  out  of  six,  but  his  victim  turned 
over  after  the  last  one. 

"  Mr.  Scott  is  better  with  lasso  than  with  rifle," 
criticised  Achang,  with  a  smile. 

The  next  shot  caused  the  fourth  of  the  reptiles  to 
upset  himself  on  the  water,  and  then  the  screw  of 
the  ship  began  to  turn  again.  The  crocodile's  rea- 
soning powers  did  not  seem  to  be  well  developed,  as 
Mrs.  Belgrave  suggested  when  she  saw  one  of  their 
number  killed ;  for  they  might  have  known  there 
was  mischief  in  the  air.  The  Nimrods  came  on  deck, 
and  then  carried  their  rifles  to  their  staterooms, 
where  the  commander  required  them  to  lock  up  the 
weapons  in  their  closets. 

The  third  officer  was  ordered  to  have  the  gang- 
way hoisted  up  when  he  returned  to  the  deck,  and 
the  ship  proceeded  to  sea.  The  weather  was  pleas- 
ant, and  not  very  warm  for  the  tropics ;  in  fact,  they 


ON  THE  VOYAGE  TO  SAIGON  195 

had  suffered  more  from  the  heat  in  New  York  and 
in  Von  Blonk  Park  than  in  Bangkok,  though  it  is 
sometimes  extremely  hot  there.  The  south-west 
monsoon  cooled  the  air  where  they  were,  though  the 
sun  poured  down  its  blistering  rays. 

There  was  an  awning  over  the  platform  where  the 
conferences  were  held,  and  another  over  the  after 
part  of  the  promenade  deck.  But  the  former,  with 
its  arm-chairs,  was  the  most  desirable  location  to  be 
had;  and  in  a  short  time  the  company  had  seated 
themselves  there  without  any  call  to  attend  a  lecture. 
As  soon  as  deep  water  was  indicated  by  the  sound- 
ings, the  pilot  was  discharged,  and  the  captain  then 
gave  out  the  course  south  by  east.  Everything  was 
in  working  order  on  board;  and  the  commander 
joined  the  party  on  the  promenade,  as  it  had  always 
been  called  before  Conference  Hall  was  located  there. 
It  commanded  the  best  view  on  both  sides,  though 
not  forward,  where  it  was  obstructed  by  the  pilot- 
house. 

"What  have  you  seen  in  Bangkok,  Miss  Blanche, 
that  the  absentees  have  not  seen  ?  "  asked  Louis, 
who  had  seated  himself  at  her  side,  after  patting 
Miss  Mingo,  whom  she  was  holding  in  her  lap. 

"  A  great  many  things,"  she  replied.  "  One  was 
the  royal  barge,  which  they  said  was  rowed  or 
paddled  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  men ;  but  a  good 
many  of  us  did  not  believe  it  contained  so  many." 

"I  have  read  about  it,  though  I  did  not  see  it. 
It  is  said  to  be  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long,  and 


196  FOUR  YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

the  book  I  read  said  it  was  paddled  by  one  hundred 
and  twenty  men,"  added  Louis.  "But  it  does  not 
make  much  difference,  and  the  books  do  not  agree  in 
regard  to  a  great  many  things  in  this  part  of  the 
world.  What  did  you  think  of  the  people  you  saw, 
Miss  Blanche  ?  " 

"  A  lady  and  gentleman  were  pointed  out  to  us 
by  one  of  the  kind  missionaries  who  guided  us,  and 
I  could  hardly  tell  which  was  the  lady  and  which 
the  gentleman  till  I  had  studied  them  a  while/' 
returned  the  fair  maiden.  "  Both  of  them  wore  what 
appeared  to  be  trousers ;  but  it  proved  to  be  a  cloth 
as  big  as  a  sheet  wound  around  the  waist,  and  so 
disposed  about  the  legs  as  to  look  like  trousers ;  but 
the  garment  was  the  same  on  both  of  them.  The 
lady  had  something  like  a  shawl,  which  was  passed 
over  the  left  shoulder,  and  under  the  right  arm, 
with  some  kind  of  a  jacket  under  it.  The  gentle- 
man wore  a  sort  of  tunic,  which  was  regularly  but- 
toned up  in  front  like  a  coat.  The  hair  of  each  was 
shaved  off  close  to  the  head,  except  a  tuft  on  the 
crown,  which  was  bunched  up.  They  wore  no  orna- 
ments of  any  kind,  perhaps  because  it  was  not  a 
dress  occasion.  I  saw  one  woman  who  had  a  kind 
of  necklace  on  the  top  of  the  shawl." 

"I  saw  a  woman's  band  of  five  pieces,  and  the 
music  they  made  was  not  bad,"  added  Louis. 

"  I  heard  a  band  like  that ;  but  I  could  not  tell 
whether  they  played  a  tune  or  improvised  their 
music.  The  missionaries  took  us  into  the  garden  of 


ON   THE   VOYAGE  TO   SAIGON  197 

a  nobleman,  where  we  saw  what  was  called  a  theat- 
rical exhibition;  but  it  was  no  more  like  a  theatre 
than  it  was  like  a  cattle-show.  We  saw  the  king 
too,  and  he  was  a  nice-looking  man  forty  years  old. 
He  had  what  looked  like  a  tunnel  on  his  head.  He 
was  sitting  in  a  kind  of  big  arm-chair  on  poles,  and 
eight  men  were  bearing  him  to  a  temple.  All  the 
natives  in  the  street  dropped  on  their  knees  as  he 
passed,  and  some  lay  flat  on  their  stomachs.  That 
is  the  way  they  always  do  before  him.  But  he 
chews  betel ;  and  his  mouth  was  as  black  as  though 
he  had  just  eaten  a  piece  of  huckleberry-pie,  and  it 
looked  horrid.  That  is  all  the  fault  I  have  to  find 
with  him." 

"It  is  a  bad  habit  the  people  here  have;  but  it 
is  not  so  bad  as  drinking  whiskey,  and  we  must  be 
charitable  while  our  country  has  its  faults ;  and  theirs 
only  spoils  their  looks,  though  I  have  been  told  there 
is  a  'kick/  or  exhilaration,  in  the  use  of  betel.  I 
don't  think  I  should  ever  fall  in  love  with  a  girl 
who  chewed- betel-nut.  Some  Dyak  maidens  would 
have  been  passably  good-looking  if  their  teeth  and 
lips  had  not  been  blackened  with  this  drug." 

"  The  missionaries  took  some  of  us  into  the  private 
chapel  of  a  nobleman.  There  were  about  a  hundred 
priests,  all  clothed  in  yellow  robes,  with  their  heads 
shaven ;  the  service  consisted  of  the  constant  repeti- 
tion of  a  sentence,  which  a  missionary  told  me  meant 
<  So  be  it.'  It  reminded  me  of  the  howling  dervishes 
we  visited  at  their  monastery,  whose  service  was  a 


198  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

monotonous  repetition  of  '  Allah  il  Allah.'  You  went 
to  some  of  the  temples,  Mr.  Belgrave,  and  they  seem 
to  me  to  be  all  alike.  Now  can  you  tell  me  how  far 
it  is  to  the  place  where  we  are  going  next  ?  " 

"  It  is  about  six  hundred  miles  to  Saigon,  the  chief 
town  of  French  Cochin  China,  and  we  shall  get  there 
to-morrow,"  replied  Louis.  "  You  must  brush  up 
your  French,  Miss  Blanche,  for  we  have  not  used 
it  lately." 

"  We  are  off  Cape  Liant  now,  and  I  must  give  out 
a  new  course/'  said  the  commander,  rising  from  his 
chair  by  the  side  of  Mrs.  Belgrave. 

"  South-east  half-south  !  "  called  the  captain  at  the 
side  window  of  the  pilot-house. 

"  South-east  half-south,"  repeated  the  quartermaster 
at  the  wheel. 

"  We  are  going  to  Saigon,  you  said,  Mr.  Belgrave ; 
but  I  cannot  pronounce  the  name,"  added  the  young 
lady. 

"As  to  that,  you  pays  your  money,  and  takes 
your  choice,"  laughed  Louis.  "The  French  call  it 
Sah-gong,  shutting  out  the  full  sound  of  the  last  </," 
added  the  speaker,  pronouncing  it  several  times  with 
the  proper  accent.  "The  English  call  it  Sy-gon,  I 
believe ;  but  I  have  heard  it  called  variously  at 
Sarawak." 

"  But  we  want  to  know  something  about  it  before 
we  go  there,"  said  the  young  lady.  "We  had  to 
ask  no  end  of  questions  about  Siam  because  the 
lecture  was  postponed  for  the  absentees." 


ON   THE   VOYAGE  TO   SAIGON  199 

"  After  lunch  to-day  a  short  talk  will  be  given  in 
relation  to  Saigon/'  replied  Louis,  as  the  bell  rang 
for  that  meal. 

When  the  company  gathered  in  Conference  Hall, 
Louis  was  introduced  as  the  speaker  for  the  occasion, 
and  promptly  presented  himself  before  his  audience. 

"I  have  very  little  to  say,  Mr.  Commander,  for 
General  Koury  has  covered  the  whole  subject  under 
the  head  of  Cochin  China,"  he  began.  "What  is 
more  particularly  known  as  French  Cochin  China 
contains  23,000  square  miles,  and  a  population  of 
1,800,000.  The  part  in  the  north  is  called  French 
Indo-China.  The  country  is  precisely  that  described 
so  carefully  by  the  general,  and  I  need  not  repeat  it. 
The  Cambodia,  or  Mekhong  River,  flows  through  it 
with  many  bayous  or  cut-offs.  On  one  of  these, 
which  is  called  the  Saigon  River,  is  the  city  of  Sai- 
gon, the  capital  of  the  French  possessions  in  the 
East,  Lippincott  says  thirty-five  miles,  and  Chambers 
sixty  miles,  from  the  China  Sea ;  and  of  course  both 
of  them  cannot  be  right,  and  you  are  all  at  liberty 
to  take  your  choice.  The  town  has  grown  up  within 
the  last  thirty-two  years ;  and,  after  the  style  of 
French  cities,  it  is  handsomely  laid  out,  with  fine 
streets,  squares  and  boulevards.  It  contains  numer- 
ous canals,  with  stone  or  brick  quays ;  and  perhaps  it 
will  remind  you  of  Paris  along  the  Seine.  It  is  said 
to  be  one  of  the  handsomest  cities  of  the  East.  It 
has  a  navy-yard  and  citadel,  and  is  the  most  im- 
portant port  between  Hong-Kong  and  Singapore.  The 


200  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

people  are  French,  Annamese,  and  Chinese.  It  has 
a  large  trade,  and  contains  two  colleges,  an  orphan 
asylum,  a  splendid  botanical  garden,  to  say  nothing 
of  convents  and  other  institutions.  The  population 
is  put  by  one  at  ninety  thousand,  and  by  another 
at  about  half  that  number.  I  have  nothing  more  to 
say." 

Louis  retired,  and  the  next  day  the  ship  arrived 
at  Saigon. 


IN   THE  DOMINIONS   OF   THE   FKENCH          201 


CHAPTEK   XXII 

IN  THE  DOMINIONS  OF  THE  FRENCH 

IT  was  not  a  long  voyage  from  Bangkok  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Mekhong  River ;  and  the  sight  of  land 
was  not  as  thrilling  an  incident  as  it  had  often  been 
in  the  experience  of  the  voyagers,  and  they  were 
not  in  condition  to  appreciate  the  feelings  of  Captain 
Columbus  when  Watling's  Island  broke  on  his  vision 
four  hundred  years  before.  It  had  been  smooth  sail- 
ing all  the  way ;  the  Gulf  of  Siam  had  been  as  gentle 
and  affectionate  as  a  maiden  among  the  flowers,  and 
the  China  Sea  was  scarcely  more  ruffled. 

Mr.  Gaskette  had  finished  up  his  new  map  of 
Cochin  China,  so  that  it  was  as  creditable  to  his  skill 
and  taste  as  his  former  efforts  had  been ;  and  it  was 
displayed  on -.the  frame  in  Conference  Hall,  which 
was  the  usual  sitting  apartment  of  the  company, 
though  some  of  them  did  a  great  deal  of  walking  on 
the  promenade  deck.  The  water  was  deeper  inshore 
than  farther  out  at  sea,  where  several  spots  were 
marked  at  eight  fathoms;  and  the  passengers  had 
a  view  of  the  land  before  they  were  within  a  hun- 
dred miles  of  the  entrance  .of  Saigon  Eiver. 

"  There  is  a  broad  opening  in  the  coast,  which  must 
be  the  Cambodia,  or  Mekhong  Eiver,"  said  Morris. 


202  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"That  is  Batac  Bay,  with  a  large  island  in  the 
middle  of  it,"  replied  Captain  Ringgold.  "It  is  one 
of  the  mouths  of  the  Mekhong ;  for  there  is  a  Delta 
here  extending  about  a  hundred  miles,  the  Saigon 
River  being  the  most  easterly." 

"  Mekhong  seems  to  me  a  new  word,  though  doubt- 
less it  was  the  native  name  of  the  great  river ;  but 
when  I  went  to  school  we  never  called  it  anything 
but  the  Cambodia,"  added  Uncle  Moses. 

"It  is  now  called  by  both  names,  and  both  are 
usually  found  on  the  maps  and  charts,"  said  the  com- 
mander. 

A  couple  of  hours  later  he  pointed  out  the  mouth 
of  the  great  river.  All  the  land  was  very  low,  and 
much  of  it  was  sometimes  under  water.  Felix  had 
become  the  owner  of  an  excellent  spy-glass,  which  he 
had  purchased  at  second-hand  at  Aden ;  and  he  made 
abundant  use  of  it.  It  was  too  large  to  be  worn  in 
a  sling  at  his  side,  and  he  always  carried  it  in  his 
hand  when  the  ship  was  in  sight  of  land.  After 
lunch,  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  he  stationed 
himself  in  front  of  the  pilot-house,  and  kept  a  sharp 
lookout  ahead. 

"  Saigon  light ! "  he  shouted,  some  time  before  it 
could  be  made  out  without  a  glass. 

The  steamer  was  headed  for  Cape  St.  Jacques,  near 
the  entrance  to  the  river  by  which  she  was  to  reach 
the  city.  The  light  soon  came  into  view,  and  a  boat 
was  seen  pulling  out  of  the  mouth.  The  signal  for 
a  pilot  had  been  displayed  on  the  ship,  and  one  of 


IN  THE   DOMINIONS   OF   THE  FKENCH          203 

the  men  in  it  was  believed  to  be  the  person  desired. 
The  screw  was  stopped  as  he  approached  her,  and  the 
ladder  lowered  for  his  ascent  to  the  deck.  As  usual, 
all  the  passengers  wanted  to  see  him.  He  was  an  old 
man,  or  at  least  well  along  in  years. 

"Good-day,  sir,"  said  Louis,  who  had  gone  to  the 
main  deck  with  the  third  officer  to  receive  him ;  and 
he  spoke  to  him  in  French. 

He  was  conducted  to  the  promenade  deck,  and  pre- 
sented to  the  captain.  He  said  that  he  was  born  in 
France,  but  had  been  in  Cochin  China  nearly  thirty 
years.  He  was  first  sent  down  to  Monsieur  Odervie 
for  a  lunch  after  he  had  given  the  course,  and  the 
ship  continued  on  her  way.  The  cook  was  very  glad 
to  meet  a  compatriot ;  and,  as  he  was  getting  din- 
ner, he  had  several  nice  dishes,  from  which  he  treated 
his  new  friend.  But  the  pilot's  services  were  soon 
needed  in  the  pilot-house.  He  spoke  a  little  Eng- 
lish, consisting  mainly  of  nautical  terms. 

He  took  his  place  on  the  starboard  side  of  the 
wheel,  with  Quartermaster  Bangs  on  the  other  side, 
steering  himself ;  perhaps  because  he  was  not  willing 
to  trust  his  English  in  giving  orders.  But  the  quar- 
termaster seconded  all  his  movements,  and  they 
steered  together  in  silence.  The  ship  was  soon  well 
in  the  river,  and  the  passengers  had  enough  to  do  in 
observing  the  shores  on  both  sides. 

There  were  many  openings  in  the  banks  of  bayous 
and  cut-offs,  and  the  land  was  as  flat  as  it  had  been 
during  the  last  hundred  miles  of  the  voyage.  The 


204  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

soil  was  very  rich,  and  produced  abundant  crops 
where  it  was  cultivated.  A  very  few  villages  were 
to  be  seen;  but  each  of  them  had  its  temple  or  pa- 
goda, and  the  houses  hardly  differed  from  those  they 
had  seen  in  Siam. 

"  I  suppose  this  is  all  an  alluvial  soil,  Brother 
Avoirdupois,"  said  Dr.  Hawkes,  as  the  ship  was 
passing  a  rice-field. 

"  So  say  the  books  I  have  consulted,  Brother 
Adipose  Tissue.  It  is  just  the  right  land  for  rice, 
and  that  is  the  staple  product  of  all  this  region,'7 
replied  Uncle  Moses. 

Both  of  these  gentlemen  weighed  about  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-six  pounds  apiece,  and  they  contin- 
ued to  call  each  other  by  the  appropriate  names  they 
had  given  each  other  even  before  the  ship  left  New 
York  on  her  voyage  all  over  the  world. 

"  What  is  alluvial  soil,  Doctor  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Blos- 
som, who  had  read  very  little  besides  her  Bible  and 
denominational  newspaper. 

"It  is  the  soil  or  mud  which  is  brought  to  its 
location  by  the  action  of  water;  and  here  it  is 
brought  down  by  the  mighty  river  which  spreads 
itself  out  into  a  delta  where  we  are,"  replied  the 
doctor  good-naturedly,  and  without  a  smile  at  the 
ignorance  of  the  worthy  lady  ;  for  though  her  educa- 
tion had  been  greatly  neglected,  she  was  esteemed 
and  respected  by  all  on  board,  for  in  sickness  she 
had  been  the  nurse  of  the  patients.  "It  is  just  the 
right  soil  for  rice,"  he  added. 


IN   THE   DOMINIONS   OF   THE  FRENCH          205 

"  I  have  seen  so  many  rice-fields  out  here,  that  I 
should  like  to  know  something  more  about  them," 
suggested  the  good  lady. 

"  Naturalists  class  it  as  a  kind  of  grass ;  but  I  will 
not  vex  you  with  any  hard  words.  Rice  is  the  food 
of  about  one-third  of  all  the  people  on  the  globe.  It 
requires  heat  and  moisture  for  its  growth,  and  it  is 
raised  in  considerable  quantities  on  the  low  lands  of 
Georgia  and  South  Carolina  and  elsewhere  in  our 
country.  The  plant  grows  from  one  to  six  feet  high. 
I  don't  know  much  about  the  culture  of  this  grain 
in  the  East;  but  in  South  Carolina  they  first  dig 
trenches,  in  the  bottom  of  which  the  rice  is  sown  in 
rows  eighteen  inches  apart.  The  plantation  is  pre- 
pared so  that  water  can  be  let  in  and  drawn  off  as 
desired.  As  soon  as  the  seed  is  sown,  the  water 
is  let  in  till  the  ground  is  covered  to  the  depth  of 
several  inches.  As  soon  as  the  rice  comes  up,  the 
water  is  drawn  off,  and  the  plant  grows  in  the  open 
air  rapidly  under  the  hot  sun.  The  field  is  again 
flooded  for  a  couple  of  weeks,  to  kill  the  weeds,  and 
again  when  the  grain  is  ripening.  The  rice  is  in 
a  hull,  like  wheat  and  other  grains;  and  you  have 
found  parts  of  this  covering  in  the  rice  when  you  were 
cooking  it.  It  is  threshed  out  by  hand  or  machinery 
after  it  is  dried,  and  then  it  is  ready  for  market. 
There  is  a  rice-field  on  your  right ;  and  you  can  see 
the  channels  which  have  been  dug  to  convey  the 
water  to  the  plants,  or  to  draw  it  off,"  said  the 
surgeon  in  conclusion. 


206  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  I  see  them,  Dr.  Hawkes ;  and  I  am  very  much 
obliged  to  you  for  taking  so  much  pains  to  instruct 
an  ignorant  body  like  me,"  replied  Mrs.  Blossom. 

"It  is  quite  impossible  for  any  of  us  to  know 
everything,  and  I  often  find  myself  entirely  ignorant 
in  regard  to  some  things;  and  I  have  lived  long 
enough  to  forget  many  things  that  I  learned  when 
I  was  younger,"  added  the  doctor  with  a  softening 
smile. 

The  villages  increased  in  number  and  in  size  as 
the  ship  approached  the  city ;  though  they  were  about 
the  same  thing,  except  that  in  the  larger  ones  the 
temple  was  a  handsomer  structure. 

"  How  far  is  it  from  the  sea  to  Saigon  ?  "  asked 
Bangs,  speaking  to  the  pilot  for  the  first  time;  but 
the  Frenchman  could  not  understand  him,  and  the 
quartermaster  called  Louis  in,  who  repeated  the  ques- 
tion in  French. 

"Sixty  miles  if  you  go  one  way;  thirty-five  by 
another,"  Louis  translated  the  reply. 

"  That  may  account  for  the  difference  in  the  dis- 
tance given  in  the  books,"  said  the  captain,  who  was 
in  the  pilot-house.  "  But  the  information  we  obtain 
from  what  are  considered  the  authorities  is  so  vari- 
ous on  the  same  subject  that  I  don't  know  where  the 
fault  is." 

"This  is  the  largest  village  we  have  seen,"  said 
Louis  to  the  pilot  in  French. 

"Yes,  sir;  and  the  next  place  is  Saigon,"  replied 
the  Frenchman ;  but  he  was  so  much  occupied  with 


IN    THE   DOMINIONS   OF   THE   FRENCH  207 

his  duty  that  he  would  not  talk  much,  even  in  his 
own  language. 

The  city  was  soon  in  sight,  and  the  pilot  began  to 
feel  about  for  the  bell-pull.  He  spoke  to  Louis,  and 
the  quartermaster  was  told  to  ring  the  speed-bell. 
A.  little  later,  off  the  town,  the  gong  sounded  for 
the  screw  to  stop.  The  anchor  was  all  ready,  was 
let  go,  and  the  steamer  swung  round  to  her  cable. 
The  Blanche  had  not  so  readily  obtained  a  pilot 
as  her  consort,  and  she  was  an  hour  behind  her  in 
arriving. 

The  Guardian-Mother  was  surrounded  by  boats  as 
soon  as  she  was  at  rest,  but  the  boatmen  kept  their 
distance  till  the  port  physician  and  the  custom-house 
officials  came  on  board.  Both  ships  passed  the  or- 
deal of  the  examination,  and  the  boats  closed  up. 
They  were  manned  by  all  sorts  of  people,  and  they 
were  in  all  sorts  of  craft.  The  captain  said  that 
most  of  them  were  Chinese  sampans,  and  the  boat- 
men were  of  the  same  nation. 

"  There  comes  the  Blanchita ! "  exclaimed  Felix, 
who  was  walking  about  the  deck  with  his  spy-glass 
under  his  arm. 

"  They  got  her  overboard  in  a  very  short  time," 
said  the  captain,  who  had  joined  the  company  on 
the  promenade.  "  I  am  glad  she  is  coming,  for  I 
desire  to  see  the  general." 

The  gangway  had  already  been  rigged  out ;  and  the 
launch  came  alongside  the  platform,  containing  Gen- 
eral Koury,  his  wife,  the  rajah,  Captain  and  Mrs. 


208  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

Sharp,  Dr.  Henderson,  the  surgeon  of  the  Blanche, 
and  the  French  maid  of  the  princess.  They  were 
warmly  greeted  on  the  platform  by  the  commander 
and  Louis,  and  the  ladies  were  assisted  from  the 
boat.  They  mounted  to  the  deck ;  and  the  usual 
hugging,  kissing,  and  handshaking  followed  in  the 
boudoir. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  come,  General  Noury,"  said 
Captain  Kinggold,  after  he  had  shaken  hands  with 
everybody.  "We  have  been  shut  up  on  shipboard 
for  some  time  now ;  and  as  we  have  come  to  a  French 
city,  I  propose  to  take  my  party  to  a  hotel  for  a 
day  or  two.  Of  course  you  can  do  as  you  please, 
General." 

"  I  like  the  idea,  Captain,  if  there  is  a  decent 
hotel  here,"  replied  the  pacha.  "  What  do  you 
think,  Zuleima  ?  "  he  asked,  turning  to  his  wife. 

"  I  like  it  very  much ;  and  the  hotel  cannot  be  any 
worse  than  some  we  have  lived  in  on  our  yacht  voy- 
ages," replied  the  princess. 

"Here  is  the  medical  officer,  and  he  can  tell  us 
something  about  the  hotels,"  suggested  the  com- 
mander. 

The  doctor  was  consulted  by  the  general  in  French, 
and  he  said  the  Hotel  de  1' Europe  was  very  good. 
The  entire  party  of  both  ships  were  invited  to  go 
on  shore,  and  remain  at  the  hotel.  All  of  them  ac- 
cepted, including  Captain  Sharp  and  his  wife.  Those 
on  board  the  Guardian-Mother  went  below  to  pre- 
pare for  the  shore,  and  the  Blanchita  returned  to 


IN   THE   DOMINIONS   OF   THE   FRENCH          209 

the  Blanche  for  the  same  purpose.  The  gentlemen 
were  on  deck  again  in  a  few  minutes. 

"  A  visitor  to  see  you,  Mr.  Scott,"  said  a  seaman, 
approaching  the  third  officer  as  he  came  from  the 
cabin. 

"  Captain  Rayburn  ! "  exclaimed  Scott  as  soon  as 
he  caught  sight  of  the  visitor.  "  I  am  very  glad  to 
see  you,  Captain  j "  and  the  young  officer  grasped 
his  hand. 

"  I  am  quite  as  pleased  to  see  you,  Captain  Scott, 
though  I  hardly  knew  you,"  replied  the  English 
captain. 

"  I  am  no  longer  captain,  though  I  am  the  third 
officer  of  this  ship ;  and  I  did  not  wear  my  uniform 
when  I  met  you  at  Kuching." 

"  How  are  the  rest  of  your  party  ?  "  inquired  the 
captain  of  the  Delhi. 

"Very  well,  and  here  they  are." 

"  I  am  delighted  to  see  you  on  board  of  your  own 
ship,  Mr.  Belgrave,"  said  Captain  Rayburn,  rushing 
to  the  young  millionaire  as  he  came  on  deck  with  his 
bag  in  his  hand. 

Felix  and  Morris  soon  appeared,  and  gave  the  cap- 
tain a  hearty  greeting.  The  commander  happened  to 
pass  near  them,  and  he  was  approached  by  Scott. 

"  Captain  Ringgold,  allow  me  to  introduce  Captain 
Rayburn,  of  the  steamer  Delhi,  to  whom  the  Borneo 
party  are  greatly  indebted  for  his  kindness ;  and  the 
Blanchita  sailed  in  company  of  his  ship  from  Ku- 
ching to  forty  miles  inside  of  Point  Cambodia." 


210  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  Captain  Rayburn,  I  am  very  happy  to  meet  you ; 
and  I  am  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  thank  you  for 
your  kindness  to  my  young  men,  and  especially  for 
standing  by  the  Blanchita  during  the  worst  part  of 
her  voyage  to  Bangkok.  But  we  are  all  going  ashore 
at  once  to  spend  a  day  or  two  at  the  Hotel  de  1'Eu- 
rope ;  and  I  cordially  invite  you  to  be  my  guest." 

After  some  objections  to  the  plan,  he  accepted  the 
invitation.  He  was  well  dressed,  and  a  gentleman 
in  every  sense  of  the  word.  He  ordered  the  men  in 
his  boat  to  return  to  the  Delhi,  and  to  bring  off  cer- 
tain garments  to  the  hotel.  The  Blanchita  came  up 
to  the  gangway  again,  and  the  party  embarked  in  her. 


A  LIVELY   EVENING    AT  THE   HOTEL         211 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

A    LIVELY    EVENING   AT    THE    HOTEL 

THE  Blanchita  had  been  painted  since  her  return 
from  Borneo,  and  she  had  a  decidedly  holiday  ap- 
pearance. Captain  Rayburn  had  been  introduced 
to  all  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  on  board ;  and  in  the 
steam-launch  he  was  presented  to  General  Noury  and 
his  wife,  and  to  the  others  of  the  Blanche.  The  port 
physician  went  on  shore  with  them,  pointed  out  to 
them  the  landing-place,  and  directed  them  to  the 
hotel. 

The  party  landed,  and  found  the  hotel  "good 
enough/'  though  hardly  in  the  slang  sense  of  the 
phrase.  Apartments  were  obtained  for  all,  and  dinner 
was  ordered.  Captain  Eayburn  had  been  a  couple  of 
days  in  Saigon,  and  had  learned  something  about  the 
city.  He  was  the  guide  of  the  Nimrods  when  they 
took  a  walk  before  dinner.  They  went  through  the 
French  portion  of  the  place,  where  they  found  the 
streets  broad,  and  ornamented  with  trees.  The  houses 
were  seldom  more  than  two  stories  high. 

The  governor's  palace  was  a  magnificent  residence 
for  Cochin  China,  and  the  cathedral  was  also  a  fine 
building;  but  after  going  half  over  the  world  the 
young  voyagers  did  not  find  much  to  attract  them. 


212  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

They  were  more  interested  in  what  the  country  it- 
self produced  than  in  what  had  been  brought  from 
France.  There  was  a  European  garrison  in  the  cita- 
del ;  but  the  natives  were  enlisted  as  soldiers,  and 
drilled  in  French  tactics.  The  promenaders  met  a 
squad  of  the  latter.  They  wore  blue  blouses,  white 
pants,  and  a  flat  cork-lined  cap ;  but  they  did  not 
wear  shoes,  and  they  looked  very  odd  to  the  visitors 
in  their  bare  feet. 

The  walk  ended  with  a  visit  to  the  botanical  gar- 
den ;  but  the  tropical  plants  were  what  they  had  been 
seeing  for  two  months,  and  they  were  not  a  novelty 
to  them.  The  foreign  plants  and  trees  were  more 
interesting  to  them,  and  they  had  been  set  out  with 
a  view  of  ascertaining  what  were  adapted  to  the  soil 
and  climate  of  the  country. 

"This  place  consists  really  of  three  towns  united," 
said  Captain  Kayburn  as  they  walked  back  to  the 
hotel.  "  It  was  formerly  but  a  group  of  fishing  vil- 
lages, though  even  then  it  was  the  capital.  Pingeh  is 
the  commercial  town,  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
and  Cholon  is  the  native  quarter.  The  citadel  or 
fortress  is  in  Pingeh,  but  we  have  not  time  to  visit 
either  of  them  to-night." 

"  You  have  been  here  before,  Captain  ? "  asked 
Louis. 

"  Not  in  the  Delhi.  I  was  for  some  years  the  com- 
mander of  one  of  the  P.  &  0.  steamers ;  but  I  was 
taken  very  sick  six  months  ago,  and  was  obliged  to 
spend  three  months  in  Calcutta.  When  I  got  well, 


A   LIVELY  EVENING  AT  THE   HOTEL         213 

a  merchant  there  who  had  been  a  good  friend  of  mine 
during  my  illness,  was  in  a  great  strait  to  find  a  cap- 
tain for  the  Delhi  in  place  of  one  who  had  died.  I 
agreed  to  take  her  for  a  single  voyage ;  for  she  is 
a  very  small  craft  for  me,  as  I  have  been  in  command 
of  ships  of  six  thousand  tons.  I  shall  return  to  my 
steamer  when  she  comes  to  Calcutta  in  a  couple  of 
months." 

"  I  thought  you  were  too  big  a  man  to  be  in  com- 
mand of  such  a  puny  vessel  as  the  Delhi,"  added 
Scott. 

"  I  took  charge  of  her  only  to  accommodate  my 
friend  her  owner.  I  don't  find  any  fault  with  her, 
except  that  she  is  old  and  very  slow,"  added  the 
captain  as  they  came  to  the  hotel. 

"  Ah,  Captain  Kayburn,  how  do  you  do  ? "  ex- 
claimed a  gentleman,  extending  his  hand  to  him. 
"  I  was  a  passenger  in  your  ship  to  Hong-Kong  last 
year." 

"  0  Monsieur  Froler ! "  replied  Captain  Kayburn, 
grasping  the  -proffered  hand.  "  Of  course  I  remem- 
ber you  very  well,  for  I  don't  often  get  so  fully 
acquainted  with  my  passengers  as  I  did  with  you; 
and  I  only  wished  I  could  talk  French  with  you. 
But  you  speak  English  as  well  as  I  can,  so  that 
it  made  no  difference.  Do  you  reside  here  ?  " 

"I  went  from  Hong-Kong  to  Canton,  and  several 
other  Chinese  cities,  and  then  to  Japan,  after  we 
parted,  and  finally  I  came  here.  I  like  the  place, 
and  have  been  here  six  months,"  replied  the  French 


214  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

gentleman,  who  was  not  over  thirty  years  of  age. 
"  I  live  at  this  hotel ;  and  we  have  a  great  American 
party  here,  with  an  English  steamer  that  has  a 
Moorish  pacha  on  board  with  his  wife,  who  is  an 
Indian  princess,  so  the  landlord  told  me ;  and  I 
wish  to  be  introduced  to  them." 

"I  can  assist  you  to  that,  Mr.  Froler.  Are  you 
in  business  here  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  Not  at  all ;  my  father  made  my  fortune  for  me, 
and  I  do  nothing  but  travel,  and  when  I  come  to 
a  place  I  like  I  stay  there  as  long  as  I  please ;  and 
I  am.  doing  that  here." 

"  Mr.  Froler,  allow  me  to  present  to  you  Mr.  Louis 
Belgrave,  the  owner  of  the  Guardian-Mother,  the 
American  steam-yacht  in  the  river,"  continued  Cap- 
tain Eayburn. 

The  French  gentleman  received  the  young  man 
with  the  greatest  deference  and  politeness,  and  intro- 
duced him  to  his  companion.  A  conversation  in 
French  followed ;  for  Louis  was  inclined  to  use  that 
language  when  he  could,  to  keep  "his  tongue  in," 
as  he  put  it.  Mr.  Froler  told  him  that  he  was  well 
acquainted  in  the  city  with  all  the  principal  men, 
and  was  familiar  with  all  the  localities.  He  would 
be  very  happy  to  escort  the  party  wherever  they 
wished  to  go,  and  to  introduce  them  to  the  governor 
and  other  officers  of  the  army  and  officials. 

Louis  then  conducted  the  Frenchman  to  the  large 
parlor  where  the  tourists  were  waiting  for  dinner, 
and  introduced  him  to  Captain  Kinggold,  who  re- 


A  LIVELY  EVENING    AT   THE   HOTEL         215 

ceived  him  with  his  usual  politeness.  While  Louis 
was  introducing  him  to  all  the  members  of  the  party, 
Captain  Kay  burn  informed  the  commander  that  he 
had  first  met  Mr.  Froler  when  in  command  of  a 
P.  &  0.  steamer. 

"  Were  you  in  command  of  a  P.  &  0.  steamer  ?  " 
asked  Captain  Ringgold,  opening  his  eyes  very  wide. 

"  I  am  still  in  command  of  one/'  replied  the  Eng- 
lish captain ;  and  then  explained  how  he  happened 
to  be  in  the  Delhi.  "Mr.  Froler  was  really  the 
most  agreeable  passenger  I  ever  had,  and  I  became 
very  intimate  with  him.  He  is  very  wealthy,  and 
travels  all  the  time,  though  he  sometimes  stops  a 
year  in  a  place.  He  is  a  high-toned  gentleman  in 
every  sense  of  the  word.  He  is  acquainted  with 
the  principal  merchants  and  all  the  officials  in 
Saigon,  and  desires  to  assist  your  party  in  seeing 
the  city  and  its  surroundings." 

"  I  shall  certainly  be  very  grateful  to  him  for  his 
services/7  replied  the  commander,  as  Mr.  Froler  ap- 
proached theln  after  making  his  round  of  introduc- 
tions with  Louis. 

The  Frenchman  formally  tendered  his  assistance 
to  the  party,  and  they  were  gratefully  accepted  by 
the  commander.  Of  course  he  was  invited  to  dinner 
with  the  party;  and  the  seat  of  honor  on  the  right 
of  the  captain  was  given  to  him,  while  that  on  the 
left  was  appropriated  to  Captain  Eayburn.  The 
princess  was  placed  next  to  the  Frenchman,  with  the 
pacha  next.  The  others  took  seats  to  suit  themselves. 


216  FOUR    YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

The  dinner  was  excellent,  and  Dr.  Hawkes  won- 
dered if  Monsieur  Odervie  had  not  had  a  hand  in  its 
preparation;  and  this  afterwards  proved  to  be  the 
case.  French  cooks  are  very  fraternal ;  and  when 
one  of  them  is  to  get  up  a  great  dinner,  his  confreres 
generally  tender  their  assistance  to  him.  As  no  dinner 
was  to  be  served  that  day  on  the  steamer,  Monsieur 
Odervie  had  obtained  leave  of  absence,  and  called 
upon  the  cook  of  the  hotel.  His  proffered  aid  was 
accepted,  and  the  surgeon  was  confident  he  had  made 
the  sauce  for  the  excellent  fish  that  was  served. 

It  was  a  lively  party  at  the  table,  for  the  guests 
were  desirous  of  knowing  more  about  the  mission 
of  the  Guardian-Mother  all  over  the  world  j  and  their 
curiosity  was  gratified,  the  pacha  telling  the  French- 
man all  about  it  in  the  language  of  the  latter.  No 
wine  was  served,  for  the  reason  that  none  was  or- 
dered, doubtless  greatly  to  the  regret  of  the  landlord ; 
and  the  commander  made  an  explanation,  though  not 
an  apology. 

"  I  am  a  Frenchman,  but  I  drink  no  wine,"  said 
Mr.  Froler ;  "  for  the  reason  that  it  does  not  agree 
with  me.  I  have  great  respect  for  my  stomach ;  for 
it  is  very  serviceable  to  me,  like  my  watch,  if  I  keep 
it  in  good  order.  I  drank  no  wine  nor  liquor  in  Paris, 
and  still  less  would  I  do  so  in  a  tropical  country." 

"I  am  in  the  same  boat  with  my  friend  Mr.  Fro- 
ler. The  P.  &  0.  Company  does  not  encourage  its 
captains  to  drink  anything;  and  when  I  entered  the 
service  as  a  fourth  officer,  I  knocked  off  entirely, 


A  LIVELY   EVENING  AT   THE   HOTEL         217 

afloat  or  ashore ;  and  I  have  stuck  to  my  text  ever 
since,"  added  Captain  Bay  burn. 

"Then  our  teetotal  habits  do  not  interfere  at  all 
with  our  guests." 

"Not  at  all,"  added  both  of  them. 

"Did  you  know  that  the  captain  of  your  consort 
from  Borneo  was  a  commander  in  the  P.  &  0.  ser- 
vice, Mr.  Belgrave  ?  "  asked  Captain  Ringgold. 

"  I  did  not  till  this  evening ;  I  knew  that  he  was 
a  gentleman,  and  that  was  all  that  I  wished  to  know," 
replied  Louis. 

This  remark  was  applauded  warmly  by  the  com- 
pany. The  captain  then  said  that  he  wished  to 
introduce  the  guests  of  the  occasion  over  again, 
though  they  had  been  presented  individually  to  all 
the  company.  He  wished  to  say  that  Captain  Kay- 
burn  was  actually  the  commander  of  a  P.  &  0. 
steamer  of  six  thousand  tons,  on  leave  of  absence  on 
account  of  sickness.  He  also  told  them  something 
more  about  the  Frenchman.  He  was  a  gentleman 
whose  father-  had  made  his  fortune  for  him,  as  he 
expressed  himself ;  he  was  not  engaged  in  any  busi- 
ness, and  held  no  official  position.  He  was  travel- 
ling only  for  his  own  amusement  and  instruction, 
and  his  stay  in  Saigon  had  been  prolonged  to  six 
months. 

As  the  party  left  the  table,  Mr.  Froler  had  a 
little  talk  for  a  few  minutes,  when  he  excused  him- 
self, and  left  the  hotel,  promising  to  return  in  half 
an  hour.  Conversation  was  resumed  in  the  parlor  j 


218  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

and  presently  Mrs.  Belgrave  started  one  of  the  fa- 
miliar hymns  when  she  found  a  piano  in  the  room, 
in  which  the  captain  of  the  Delhi  joined  with  a  tre- 
mendous bass  voice. 

While  the  music  was  in  full  blast,  Mr.  Froler  en- 
tered the  apartment,  accompanied  by  two  ladies  and 
two  gentlemen,  both  of  the  latter  wearing  the  deco- 
ration of  the  Legion  of  Honor.  It  was  evident  that 
the  visitors  were  magnates  of  Saigon ;  and  Mrs.  Bel- 
grave  rose  from  the  instrument,  and  the  singing  was 
discontinued. 

"  I  have  the  pleasure  of  presenting  to  Your  Excel- 
lency, Captain  Einggold,  commander  of  the  steamer 
Guardian-Mother,  visiting  Saigon  with  the  company 
of  tourists  here  present,"  said  Mr.  Froler,  leading 
up  one  of  the  strangers.  "  Captain  Einggold,  I  have 
the  honor  to  introduce  to  you  His  Excellency  the 
Governor  of  French  Cochin  China." 

The  two  gentlemen  then  shook  hands.  Louis  Bel- 
grave  was  then  presented,  followed  by  General  Noury 
and  his  wife ;  and  the  pacha  then  took  His  excel- 
lency to  every  member  of  the  party,  and  presented 
each  in  due  form.  While  this  was  in  process,  Mr. 
Froler  presented  to  the  commander  the  other  gentle- 
man, who  appeared  to  be  about  fifty  years  old,  as 
Monsieur  Larousse,  merchant  of  the  city  ;  and  Louis 
followed  the  general  in  introducing  him  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  party.  The  master  of  ceremonies  next 
led  up  to  Captain  Kinggold  the  two  ladies,  present- 
ing them  as  Madame  and  Mademoiselle  Larousse; 


A   LIVELY  EVENING   AT  THE  HOTEL          219 

and  they  appeared  to  be  the  wife  and  daughter  of 
the  elderly  gentleman  who  had  preceded  them. 

The  daughter  was  a  beautiful  lady,  apparently 
about  twenty-four  years  old,  though  it  is  not  always 
practicable  to  state  the  age  of  a  French  lady.  By 
this  time  General  Noury  had  made  his  round,  and 
the  governor  was  passed  over  to  Mrs.  Noury,  at  his 
request.  The  commander  made  the  circuit  with 
Madame  Larousse,  and  the  pacha  offered  his  services 
to  conduct  Mademoiselle  Larousse.  He  presented 
her  to  his  wife  first,  interrupting  her  tete-a-tete  with 
His  Excellency  for  a  moment. 

"  Pretty  woman,"  said  Captain  Eayburn  to  Captain 
Ringgold. 

"Very  pretty,"  replied  the  latter. 

"Between  you  and  me,  she  is  the  particular  rea- 
son why  Froler  has  prolonged  his  stay  here  to  six 
months." 

"  Then  I  congratulate  him,"  added  the  commander. 

"Her  father  is  not  rich;  Froler  does  not  care  for 
that,  for  he  is  a  multi-millionaire  himself,  counted 
in  francs.  But  the  prettiest  lady  here  is  the  sister 
of  Morris,  Miss  Blanche." 

"Madame  Noury,  you  were  singing  when  I  came 
in,"  said  the  governor  when  the  introductions  had 
been  completed. 

"  But  they  were  singing  American  hymns,  not 
adapted  to  your  religion  or  mine,"  replied  Mrs. 
Noury. 

"  I  don't  care  for  that,"  he  added ;  and  both  spoke 


220  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

French.     "I  liked  what  I  heard  very  much,  and  I 
should  wish  to  hear  some  more  of  it." 

Mrs.  Belgrave  was  called,  and  the  request  repeated 
to  her  in  English  by  the  magnate.  And  so  it  hap- 
pened that  the  rest  of  the  evening  was  passed  in 
singing  gospel  hymns.  At  a  late  hour  the  company 
separated. 


TONQUIN   AND   SIGHTS  IN  CHOLON  221 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

TONQUIN   AND    SIGHTS    IN    CHOLON 

THERE  was  so  little  sight-seeing  to  be  done  m 
Saigon  that  the  tired  tourists  did  not  hurry  them- 
selves in  the  morning ;  for  breakfast  was  not  served 
till  nine  o'clock,  and  they  went  to  the  tables  at  their 
own  pleasure.  The  Nimrods  had  risen  at  an  early 
hour,  and  had  taken  a  long  walk  before  any  others 
came  from  their  rooms.  They  were  the  first  to  take 
the  morning  meal,  and  they  had  earned  an  appetite 
before  the  regular  hour  for  it.  At  half-past  ten  a 
number  of  vehicles  had  been  gathered  by  the  land- 
lord for  the  use  of  his  guests. 

Mr.  Froler  was  in  attendance  as  soon  as  breakfast 
was  ready,  and  the  young  men  took  their  meal  with 
him.  He  seemed  to  have  taken  a  fancy  to  Louis 
when  he  learned  that  the  Guardian-Mother  was  his 
college,  and  he  took  pains  to  inform  him  in  regard 
to  the  affairs  of  the  city  and  the  country. 

"  How  did  the  French  happen  to  settle  here  in  the 
beginning  ?  "  asked  Louis  when  they  were  seated  at 
the  table. 

"England,  Holland,  Spain,  and  especially  France, 
began  to  take  an  interest  in  the  countries  of  the  East 
at  a  very  early  date;  and  France  entered  the  race 


222  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

for  Oriental  territory  as  early  as  1787,  and  agreed 
to  assist  Annam  in  its  troubles.  Two  years  later 
the  French  Revolution  broke  out  in  the  destruction 
of  the  Bastille,  on  the  fourteenth  of  July,  which  is 
still  celebrated.  It  is  our  <  Fourth  of  July/  Mr. 
Belgrave." 

"I  was  in  Paris  on  that  day  a  few  years  ago, 
when  I  was  a  smaller  boy  than  I  am  now,  and  I 
wondered  that  no  fire-crackers  were  let  off,"  replied 
Louis. 

"They  are  not  permitted  in  Paris.  France  had 
her  hands  full  after  the  Revolution  began,  and  was 
unable  to  keep  her  agreement  in  full  with  Annam ; 
but  missionaries  were  sent  there,  and  some  commer- 
cial relations  in  a  very  small  way  were  continued 
until  1831.  Then  the  king  died,  and  was  succeeded 
by  one  who  did  not  believe  in  the  missionaries, 
French  and  Spanish,  settled  in  Annam,  as  the  whole 
country  east  of  Siam  was  then  called.  The  new  king 
wanted  to  drive  away  the  bearers  of  the  gospel  to 
the  natives,  and  killed  or  persecuted  them. 

"Twenty  years  later,  France  found  it  necessary 
to  interfere,  which  she  did  by  sending  a  small  army 
to  subdue  the  country.  The  fortifications  which 
had  been  built  by  French  engineers  held  the  soldiers 
back  to  some  extent.  When  the  persecutions  of  the 
Christians  were  believed  to  be  ended,  the  French  sol- 
diers returned  home.  They  were  again  renewed  ;  and 
France  and  Spain  sent  out  a  fleet  and  army,  which 
captured  the  principal  seaport,  and  continued  the 


TONQUIN   AND   SIGHTS   IN   CHOLON  223 

war  for  about  four  years,  when  a  treaty  of  peace  was 
concluded.  Annam  was  compelled  to  pay  25,000,000 
francs  for  the  expense  of  the  war,  and  permit  every 
person  to  enjoy  his  own  religious  belief.  The  mis- 
sionaries were  to  be  protected,  commercial  relations 
were  established,  and  in  1886  a  treaty  was  ratified  at 
Hue,  by  which  the  country  was  placed  under  the 
protection  of  France,  though  the  native  princes  were 
nominally  continued  in  power.  This  was  the  begin- 
ning of  the  French  dominion  in  this  region." 

"If  it  is  not  one  now,  it  will  eventually  become 
a  French  colony,"  suggested  Louis. 

"  Probably  it  will,  for  it  is  largely  so  now,"  replied 
Mr.  Froler. 

Captain  Einggold,  who  had  waited  for  Mrs.  Bel- 
grave,  finished  breakfast  about  the  same  time;  for 
they  had  not  listened  to  a  historical  talk  while  they 
were  eating,  and  they  left  the  room  together.  At  the 
time  appointed  for  the  ride,  all  the  party  were  in  the 
parlor,  and  they  were  loaded  into  the  vehicles.  They 
rode  through  the  principal  streets,  and  to  the  botani- 
cal garden,  where  all  the  party  walked  through  the 
grounds.  Then  they  rode  along  the  banks  of  the  river. 

"Those  small  vessels  look  like  men-of-war,"  said 
Louis,  who  was  seated  in  the  first  carriage,  with  Mr. 
Froler,  the  commander,  and  Mrs.  Belgrave. 

"They  are  little  gunboats,  and  the  government 
has  about  twenty  of  them,"  replied  the  Frenchman. 
"But  I  think  we  had  better  alight  here,  and  take 
a  general  view  of  the  river  and  the  surroundings." 


224  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

At  a  given  signal  the  whole  party  got  out  of  the 
vehicles. 

"  But  what  are  those  gunboats  for,  Mr.  Froler  ? " 
asked  Louis,  as  the  company  were  looking  at  them. 

"  If  there  should  happen  to  be  a  riot,  or  a  disturb- 
ance of  any  kind,  up  the  river,  which  the  police 
could  not  handle,  they  would  be  used  for  transporting 
troops;  for  we  have  the  telegraph  here,  and  could 
be  notified  at  once.  They  are  also  used  to  beat  off 
pirates,  and  to  see  that  the  laws  are  obeyed." 

"  Pirates ! "  exclaimed  Louis.  "  Are  there  any 
about  this  country?" 

"They  are  not  such  pirates  as  we  read  about  in 
olden  times,"  replied  Mr.  Froler  with  a  smile.  "  But 
some  of  these  natives  may  rig  up  a  boat,  and  go  on  a 
predatory  excursion  among  their  neighbors,  especially 
in  the  fishing  regions  on  the  Great  Lake,  over  two 
hundred  miles  up  the  river.  Their  principal  plunder 
is  fish,  though  they  take  anything  they  can  lay  their 
hands  upon." 

"  I  should  hardly  call  them  pirates,"  added  Louis. 

"  But  Chinese  pirates  have  been  known  to  capture 
vessels  in  the  China  Sea,  off  the  coast  of  Tonquin." 

"I  have  heard  of  such  within  a  few  years." 

"You  can  see  the  citadel,  as  it  is  called  here, 
though  it  would  be  simply  a  fort  in  most  places. 
There  are  1,830  French  soldiers  here,  and  2,800 
native  troops.  Only  3,000  of  the  population  are 
French.  The  last  census  gave  the  country  a  popula- 
tion of  2,034,453,"  continued  Mr.  Froler,  consulting  a 


TONQUIN   AND   SIGHTS   IN  CHOLON  225 

memorandum  book  he  carried  in  his  pocket.  "  They 
are  mainly  Annamites ;  but  Cambodians,  Chinese,  sav- 
ages from  the  north,  and  Malays  contribute  to  make 
up  the  number.  But  I  don't  mean  to  lecture  you,  as 
I  am  told  you  are  addressed  on  board  your  ship  by 
some  of  your  own  number." 

"But  we  are  an  educational  institution  in  part, 
and  we  are  very  glad  to  hear  you,"  said  the  com- 
mander. "We  are  supposed  to  be  greedy  for  infor- 
mation about  the  countries  we  visit.  I  suppose  we 
are  about  as  near  Tongking  as  we  shall  be,  and  I  am 
sure  my  company  would  like  to  learn  something  more 
about  it.  We  have  a  nice  place  here  in  the  shade  of 
this  tree  to  hear  a  short  lecture." 

"  You  use  the  English  name  for  the  region,  which 
is  all  right ;  and  I  have  seen  it  spelled  Tonkin,  which 
I  think  is  better  yet  for  your  people.  The  French 
name  is  Tonquin,"  (and  he  gave  the  French  pronun- 
ciation). "  It  is  larger  than  Cochin  China ;  and  we 
apply  this  name  to  what  you  designate  as  French 
Cochin  China, -for  it  has  an  area  of  34,740  square 
miles,  and  a  population  supposed  to  be  about  9,000,000. 
Its  chief  town  is  Hanoi',  consisting  of  a  number  of 
villages,  with  150,000  inhabitants ;  and  its  chief  sea- 
port is  Hai-Phong.  There  has  been  war  going  on 
against  the  people  of  this  country  for  many  years." 

"We  read  something  about  these  operations  in 
American  papers,  and  know  very  little  about  Ton- 
quin, which  is  the  reason  I  asked  for  more  knowledge 
of  the  region,"  added  the  commander. 


226  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLOKEBS 

"  The  principal  productions  of  Tonquin, '  Mr. 
Froler,  bowing  to  the  captain,  proceeded,  "  are  rice, 
silk,  sugar,  pepper,  oil,  cotton,  tobacco,  and  fruits, 
with  copper  and  iron  in  small  quantities.  The  ex- 
ports are  now  13,325,000  francs,  which  you  reduce  to 
dollars  by  dividing  by  five.  The  imports  are  nearly 
28,000,000  francs,  only  one-fourth  from  France,  with 
but  a  small  portion  of  the  exports  to  that  country. 
An  expedition  was  sent  out  from  home,  at  the  in- 
stance of  Jules  Ferry,  to  open  the  way  by  the  Song- 
koi  River  for  the  trade  of  Yun-Nan,  a  south-western 
province  of  China.  The  experiment  was  an  expen- 
sive one,  and  the  difficulty  of  navigation  in  the  upper 
waters  of  the  river  made  it  a  failure.  The  troops 
met  with  a  disaster;  and  the  colonial  policy  of  the 
statesman  here  and  in  Madagascar  caused  his  ruin, 
and  he  has  since  died.  Jules  Ferry  was  nicknamed 
<le  Tonquinais.'  But  I  have  talked  too  long." 

"Not  at  all!"  protested  several  of  the  company; 
for  they  had  read  in  the  papers  at  home  something 
in  short  paragraphs  about  the  war  and  other  matters 
in  Tonquin,  which  they  did  not  understand ;  and 
they  are  likely  to  read  much  more  in  the  future, 
which  they  will  comprehend  better  if  they  remember 
the  brief  account  of  Mr.  Froler. 

The  party  got  into  the  vehicles  again,  but  stopped 
soon  after  at  the  market,  where  they  alighted.  Na- 
tives in  boats  and  on  foot  were  bringing  in  fruits 
and  vegetables  in  great  quantities.  All  the  fruits  of 
the  tropics  were  included,  though  bananas  were  the 


TONQUTN  AND   SIGHTS  IN  CHOLON  227 

most  plentiful.  Some  came  with  clumsy  carts,  loaded 
with  the  produce  of  the  surrounding  country.  The 
vehicles  were  very  trying  to  the  nerves  of  the  ladies 
and  some  of  the  gentlemen ;  for  they  creaked  and 
groaned,  and  seemed  to  be  screeching  for  grease, 
reminding  them  of  the  carts  of  Lisbon,  where  some 
of  the  party  had  had  a  similar  experience. 

"  The  men  here  wear  tunnels  on  their  heads,  after 
the  fashion  of  the  king  of  Siam,"  said  Morris  as  they 
walked  through  the  market,  which  consisted  mainly 
of  an  open  square,  filled  with  carts,  barrows,  and 
baskets. 

"  The  head-covering  of  the  women  is  more  curious," 
added  Scott.  "  It  is  about  two  feet  across,  and  they 
use  them  as  umbrellas,  both  sexes." 

"I  see  that  you  have  the  yellow  dog  here,  Mr. 
Froler,  as  in  Constantinople,"  said  Louis,  as  the 
Frenchman  came  near  with  the  captain  and  Mrs. 
Belgrave. 

"They  are  outcast  dogs,  like  those  in  Constanti- 
nople," replied  the  guide.  "  Nobody  owns  them,  and 
they  have  to  pick  up  their  living  in  the  streets. 
They  are  no  more  honest  than  some  of  the  natives; 
for  some  of  them  will  steal  a  piece  of  meat,  and  then 
comes  a  fight  with  all  the  others  in  the  vicinity." 

"  Where  does  the  meat  used  here  come  from  ? " 
asked  Louis. 

"  From  Cambodia,"  replied  the  Frenchman.  "  But 
it  is  about  time  for  your  lunch  at  the  hotel,  and  I 
think  we  had  better  return.  I  see  that  your  steam- 


228  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

launch  is  at  the  landing-place ;  and  we  might  go  up 
to  Cholon  in  her,  and  visit  the  citadel." 

The  suggestion  was  adopted ;  and  on  his  arrival  at 
the  hotel,  the  commander  found  a  note  from  the 
governor,  inviting  the  party  to  dine  with  him  that 
day  at  seven.  It  was  promptly  accepted ;  and  after 
the  lunch  the  party  embarked  in  the  Blanchita,  and 
sailed  up  the  river  to  Cholon,  which  is  the  native 
portion  of  the  city. 

"  It  does  not  cost  much  here  to  build  a  house," 
said  Mr.  Froler,  as  the  yacht,  under  the  pilotage  of 
the  old  Frenchman  who  had  brought  the  Guardian- 
Mother  up  the  river,  worked  her  way  through  the 
multitude  of  boats  that  thronged  the  shore. 

But  the  young  men  were  busy  observing  the  va- 
rious craft ;  for  they  were  of  all  sorts  and  kinds,  from 
the  simple  Chinese  sampan  to  the  craft  fifty  feet 
long,  provided  with  a  cabin,  and  parts  of  her  covered 
with  the  leaf  awning,  something  like  what  they  had 
seen  in  Borneo. 

"  Where  does  this  boat  come  from,  Achang  ?  "  asked 
Felix. 

The  Bornean  spoke  to  a  man  who  seemed  to  be  the 
captain  and  a  Malay. 

"She  come  from  Great  Lake,"  reported  Achang. 
"  She  bring  down  dry  fish  to  sell  to  the  poor  people 
of  Cholon." 

"  How  much  does  it  cost  to  build  one  of  these 
houses,  Mr.  Froler  ?  "  asked  Captain  Einggold,  after 
they  had  looked  over  some  of  them. 


TONQUIN   AND   SIGHTS   IN    CHOLON  229 

"  About  twenty-five  francs." 

"It  ought  not  to  cost  more  than  that,  for  they 
are  nothing  but  shanties,"  replied  the  commander. 
"  Some  of  them  are  built  on  floats,  as  in  Bangkok." 

"  Let  us  look  into  one  of  them ;  they  will  not  ob- 
ject. This  is  a  Chinaman's  abode,  and  he  belongs  to 
the  better  class  here,"  said  the  Frenchman  as  he  led 
the  way  into  the  house,  followed  by  the  commander, 
with  Mrs.  Belgrave  on  his  arm. 

Seated  at  a  table  was  what  a  sailor  would  call  a 
kid,  or  small  tub,  containing  a  stew  of  fish  and  vege- 
tables; and  there  was  a  dish  for  each  individual, 
which  did  duty  as  a  plate.  There  were  a  man,  a 
woman,  and  three  children  at  the  table. 

"  These  people  belong  to  the  aristocracy,"  said  the 
Frenchman,  as  they  retired,  and  the  family  were  vis- 
ited by  others  of  the  party.  "  We  will  look  into  an- 
other house  of  a  lower  grade  of  people ; "  and  they 
went  into  a  hut  about  six  feet  square,  in  which  were 
eight  men,  women,  and  children,  huddled  together 
around  a  tub  on  the  floor  containing  fish  and  rice. 
The  odor  was  not  agreeable,  and  they  hurried  away. 

"  You  noticed  the  two  girls  there.  If  you  want 
them,  Captain,  you  can  buy  them  for  thirty  dollars 
apiece  of  your  money." 

"  I  don't  want  them ;  and  I  don't  care  about  stay- 
ing any  longer  in  this  part  of  the  town,"  replied  the 
commander. 

They  walked  rather  hurriedly  to  the  yacht.  On 
the  way  they  met  a  carriage  something  like  a  wheel- 


230  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

barrow,  with  a  single  large  wheel,  and  a  seat  on  each 
side  of  it,  one  occupied  by  a  fat  Chinaman  and  the 
other  by  a  Malay.  It  was  propelled  by  a  native  just 
like  an  ordinary  wheelbarrow. 

"That's  a  big  team,"  said  Scott. 

"  You  will  see  plenty  of  them  in  some  of  the  cities 
of  China." 

The  Blanchita  left  Mr.  Froler  at  the  landing-place, 
and  then  conveyed  the  passengers  to  the  two  ships ; 
for  the  ladies  insisted  that  they  must  dress  for  the 
dinner  at  the  governor's  palace. 


SEVERAL   HILARIOUS  FROLICS  231 


CHAPTER 

SEVERAL    HILARIOUS    FROLICS 

THE  ladies  certainly  did  dress  for  the  occasion ;  and 
not  only  the  ladies,  but  all  the  gentlemen.  The  cap- 
tain put  on  a  new  uniform  which  he  had  not  worn 
since  his  ship  left  Colombo.  Scott  had  a  new  uni- 
form also ;  Uncle  Moses,  the  surgeon,  Mr.  Woolridge, 
and  the  professor  came  out  in  evening  costume,  with 
black  dress-coats ;  and  the  young  men  were  clothed 
for  their  age,  in  black.  The  ship's  company  looked 
at  them  with  astonishment  when  they  came  on  deck, 
for  they  had  never  seen  them  en  grand  tenue  before. 

The  ladies  were  properly  costumed  for  the  dinner, 
and  all  of  them  wore  the  best  they  had.  When  the 
Blanchita  came  alongside  the  ship  with  the  Blanche's 
party,  more  surprise  was  manifested ;  for  Mrs.  Noury 
was  dressed  as  a  princess,  as  she  was,  with  the  rich- 
est garments  of  India;  General  Noury  clothed  in 
the  full  costume  of  his  Moroccan  rank,  a  dress  which 
had  not  been  seen  before.  Captain  Sharp  wore  his 
uniform,  and  his  wife  proved  that  no  money  had  been 
spared  on  her  dress  and  adornings.  The  rajah  wore 
his  Indian  suit,  made  of  the  costliest  materials  and 
the  most  brilliant  colors,  and  rubies  and  diamonds 
sparkled  upon  him,  as  on  the  pacha.  Dr.  Henderson 


232  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

was  in  keeping  with  his  professional  brother  of  the 
other  party. 

The  seats  of  the  yacht  had  been  overlaid  with  rugs 
and  other  materials,  that  the  rich  costumes  need  not 
be  soiled.  The  Blanche's  barge  came  soon  with  the 
Italian  band  on  board ;  for  the  general  desired  to  sere- 
nade the  governor  during  the  evening.  It  was  an 
hour  too  early ;  for  the  commander  had  been  so  solici- 
tous that  the  company  should  not  be  late,  that  he  had 
overdone  the  matter.  The  landlord  was  to  have  the 
carriages  at  the  landing  at  half-past  six,  and  there 
was  an  hour  to  wait.  But  the  princess  and  Mrs. 
Sharp  declined  to  leave  their  seats  in  the  launch,  for 
fear  of  mussing  up  their  dresses ;  and  the  general 
called  upon  the  band  to  play  while  they  were  waiting. 

It  was  near  the  close  of  a  clear  day,  and  the  music 
was  delightful.  In  a  short  time  not  less  than  a  hun- 
dred boats  surrounded  the  ship,  and  three  times  as 
many  people  stood  upon  the  shore.  The  band  had 
not  played  before  since  their  arrival.  Mr.  Froler,  in 
Parisian  evening  dress,  had  come  to  the  landing  to 
receive  the  party,  and  when  he  heard  the  music,  he 
came  off,  standing  up  in  a  sampan ;  for  he  was  as  care- 
ful of  his  garments  as  the  ladies.  The  captain  had 
ordered  a  carpet  to  be  placed  on  the  steps  of  the 
gangway,  and  the  polite  Frenchman  ascended  to  the 
deck  without  peril  to  his  clothing. 

"  Good-evening,  Captain  Ringgold,"  said  he,  extend- 
ing his  hand.  "  You  have  the  most  ravishing  music 
here." 


SEVERAL   HILARIOUS   FROLICS  233 

"  It  is  General  Noury's  Italian  band,  and  he  will 
take  it  ashore  to  serenade  the  governor,"  replied  the 
commander. 

"I  have  not  seen  your  steamer  before,  and  she  is 
a  magnificent  vessel,"  added  the  Frenchman. 

"  I  should  be  happy  to  show  her  to  you ;  but  we 
have  hardly  time  to  do  so  now,  for  I  see  that  the 
ladies  are  taking  their  places  in  the  launch/'  an- 
swered Captain  Ringgold ;  "  but  I  shall  ask  the  gov- 
ernor and  such  ladies  and  gentlemen  as  you  will 
designate  to  spend  the  afternoon  and  evening  on 
board  to-morrow,  dining  in  the  cabin.  I  arranged  it 
with  the  general.  Both  ships  will  be  visited,  the 
band  will  play,  and  we  will  make  a  general  frolic  of 
it.  The  next  morning  we  shall  sail  for  Manila." 

Both  of  the  gentlemen  hastened  to  the  gangway  to 
assist  the  ladies  as  soon  as  the  commander  saw  Mrs. 
Belgrave  moving  in  that  direction.  Miss  Blanche, 
conducted  by  Louis,  appeared  about  the  same  time. 
Her  costume  was  very  neat,  though  not  showy ;  but 
she  was  as  beautiful  as  a  fairy,  and  the  Frenchman 
clasped  his  hands  in  ecstasy  when  he  saw  her.  In  a 
short  time  they  were  all  seated  in  the  Blanchita,  and 
the  gentlemen  then  took  their  places. 

Precisely  at  twenty  minutes  past  six  Captain 
Sharp,  prompted  by  Captain  Einggold,  gave  the  order 
to  cast  off.  A  quartermaster  of  the  Blanche  was  at 
the  wheel,  and  in  five  minutes  she  was  alongside  the 
shore.  A  platform  of  clean  boards,  covered  with  a 
carpet,  had  been  laid  down  by  the  landlord  of  the 


234  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

Hotel  de  PEurope,  and  the  vehicles  were  in  waiting. 
The  ladies  were  handed  from  the  boat  to  the  car- 
riages without  a  spot  or  a  splash  on  their  dresses, 
though  the  shore  was  very  muddy. 

In  ten  minutes  more  the  head  of  the  procession 
reached  the  governor's  palace.  There  they  found  an 
awning  over  the  sidewalk,  and  carpets  laid  down  for 
the  guests  to  walk  upon.  The  French,  English,  and 
American  flags  were  flying  on  the  building.  The 
ladies  were  conducted  to  the  grand  entrance  of  the 
palace,  and  taken  by  the  servants  to  the  apartments 
set  apart  for  clothing.  There  were  not  less  than  a 
thousand  natives  and  French  people  gathered  in  the 
vicinity,  but  they  were  kept  in  admirable  order  by 
the  Malay  police.  The  pacha's  band  was  admitted 
to  the  grounds,  and  Mr.  Froler  was  acting  as  chief 
marshal;  he  notified  them  when  the  party  began  to 
descend  the  stairs,  and  the  music  commenced  then. 
They  came  down  in  couples,  Captain  Ringgold  and 
Mrs.  Belgrave  leading,  followed  by  the  pacha  and  the 
princess. 

His  Excellency  stood  at  the  head  of  the  large 
apartment,  and  received  them  as  they  advanced.  He 
was  a  widower  and  childless,  so  that  he  had  no  wife 
nor  daughter  to  present.  Louis  and  Miss  Blanche 
were  the  next,  though  the  commander  had  proposed 
that  Louis  should  come  next  to  him  and  his  mother; 
but  Louis  rebelled,  and  insisted  that  he  should  follow 
the  pacha.  The  rajah  came  next,  and  had  Mrs. 
Blossom  on  his  arm,  to  the  no  small  amusement  of 


SEVERAL   HILARIOUS   FROLICS  235 

the  party;  but  the  deposed  sovereign  prince  could 
find  no  other  lady  disengaged. 

Possibly  Mr.  Woolridge  and  wife  were  disconcerted 
to  come  next ;  but  their  daughter  had  been  properly 
honored,  and  both  were  too  fond  of  Blanche  to  be 
troubled  about  the  precedence.  Mr.  Froler  stood  by 
the  governor,  and  announced  the  names  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  party;  for  His  Excellency  could  hardly  be 
expected  to  remember  them.  But  he  was  very  cor- 
dial to  all  of  them,  speaking  in  his  broken  English, 
except  to  the  pacha  and  Louis.  Some  of  the  gentle- 
men had  to  present  themselves  without  ladies;  but 
there  were  at  least  twenty  ladies  and  gentlemen 
seated  around  the  room.  After  all  the  party  from 
the  ships  had  been  received  by  the  governor,  they 
were  introduced  to  the  other  visitors.  Some  of  the 
Saigonians  could  speak  English,  and  some  could  not ; 
but  the  conversation  soon  became  general.  The  com- 
mander and  Mrs.  Belgrave  found  enough  who  could 
speak  English.  There  were  seven  persons  among  the 
tourists  who  eould  converse  fluently  in  French,  and 
Mr.  Froler  employed  these  as  interpreters  for  those 
who  could  not  speak  the  polite  language. 

The  scene  was  quite  amusing  to  all ;  and  even  the 
governor  laughed  heartily  as  he  looked  about  him, 
and  saw  the  struggles  in  the  matter  of  language. 
The  chief  marshal  proved  to  be  a  very  potent  func- 
tionary, and  he  was  omnipresent  in  the  apartment. 
When  the  governor  spoke  to  him  in  praise  of  Miss 
Blanche,  he  immediately  sent  Louis  with  her  to  His 


236  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

Excellency.  The  room  was  the  audience  chamber 
of  the  palace,  and  the  magnate  of  the  occasion  in- 
vited her  to  a  seat  on  the  dais  at  his  side.  She 
could  speak  French  a  little ;  and  it  was  soon  observed 
that  she  was  enjoying  herself  very  much,  and  the 
governor  even  more. 

Mrs.  Sharp  was  passed  over  to  Louis,  and  he  made 
the  grand  round  with  her.  The  princess  was  in- 
structed to  do  the  same  with  Mr.  Woolridge,  while 
the  professor  rendered  the  same  service  to  Mrs.  Wool- 
ridge.  The  rajah  escorted  Mrs.  Blossom  around  the 
chamber,  and  the  poor  woman  was  in  a  flutter  all  the 
time.  The  long  robe  of  the  Indian  prince  bothered 
her,  and  she  had  been  nearly  tripped  up  several 
times ;  but  her  new  beau  was  as  polite  and  deferen- 
tial as  though  she  had  been  a  queen.  She  had  a 
story  to  tell  the  gossips  of  Von  Blonk  Park  which 
would  last  her  the  rest  of  her  lifetime.  It  was  even 
a  livelier  time  than  that  at  the  hotel,  made  so  by  the 
confusion  of  tongues,  which  was  not  far  short  of 
that  at  the  Tower  of  Babel. 

The  dinner  was  announced  by  the  major-domo  of 
the  household.  Ignoring  the  houris  of  the  occasion, 
the  polite  governor  escorted  Mrs.  Belgrave  to  the 
table,  and  seated  her  on  his  right,  while  the  cap- 
tain of  the  Guardian-Mother  conducted  the  princess. 
Those  of  the  gentlemen  who  could  speak  French 
were  requested  by  Mr.  Froler  to  attend  the  resident 
ladies ;  and  the  most  distinguished  was  placed  in 
charge  of  the  pacha.  The  contretemps  of  language 


SEVERAL   HILARIOUS   FROLICS  237 

were  frequent  and  laughable ;  and  so  much  amuse- 
ment was  derived  from  this  source  that  some  of  the 
visitors  purposely  made  bulls  to  keep  up  the  hilarity. 

The  dinner  was  a  very  elegant  as  well  as  a  very 
substantial  affair.  Monsieur  Odervie  and  other 
French  cooks  fraternized  as  usual  on  this  great  occa- 
sion; and  the  table  was  ornamented  with  many  set 
pieces,  and  one  from  the  citadel  produced  a  Buddhist 
temple  in  sugar,  which  was  the  admiration  of  the 
guests ;  and  doubtless  all  these  culinary  artists  would 
assist  the  chef  of  the  Guardian-Mother  for  the  great 
dinner  of  the  following  day.  But  it  would  require 
a  considerable  volume  to  detail  all  the  occurrences 
of  the  governor's  banquet.  A  speech  was  made  by 
His  Excellency  in  French,  which  was  replied  to  by 
Captain  Ringgold,  without  knowing  much  of  what 
had  been  said ;  but  Louis  followed  him  in  a  few 
remarks  in  French,  thanking  the  governor  and  the 
residents  of  the  city  for  their  kindness  and  hospi- 
tality. 

The  pacha  made  the  speech  of  the  evening  in  the 
vernacular  of  the  host,  which  was  violently  ap- 
plauded by  the  residents,  especially  by  the  military 
officers  from  the  citadel,  who  had  been  informed  that 
he  was  the  command er-in-chief  of  the  armies  of  his 
country.  The  Italian  band  had  been  brought  into 
the  palace,  feasted,  and  stationed  in  the  great  hall, 
where  they  discoursed  their  finest  music,  to  the  great 
delight  of  the  guests.  Dancing  followed,  and  the 
governor  led  Mrs.  Noury  to  the  floor.  The  rajah 


238  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

asked  Mrs.  Blossom  to  dance  with  him;  but  she  did 
not  know  a  step,  and  if  she  ever  in  her  life  regretted 
that  she  could  not  dance,  it  was  on  this  occasion. 
The  commander  of  the  citadel  and  chief  officer  of 
the  army  of  Cochin  China  led  out  Mrs.  Noury,  and 
the  next  in  rank  to  His  Excellency  who  could  speak 
English  was  favored  by  Miss  Blanche. 

It  was  kept  up  till  after  midnight ;  and  then  the 
tourists  returned  to  the  ships,  visiting  the  hotel  the 
next  forenoon  to  obtain  their  baggage.  All  the  party 
at  the  fete  of  the  governor  had  been  invited  to  the 
ships ;  and  the  Blanchita  conveyed  them  from  the 
landing  in  two  trips,  one  to  the  Guardian-Mother, 
and  the  other  to  the  Blanche.  The  guests  were 
shown  over  both  steamers,  and  they  expressed  their 
admiration  in  both  languages.  All  the  officers  were 
kept  busy,  especially  Mr.  G-askette,  who  spoke  French. 
Every  passenger  was  a  host  or  hostess,  and  the  con- 
fusion of  tongues  created  as  much  merriment  as  it 
had  at  the  palace.  Captain  Ringgold  devoted  him- 
self especially  to  the  governor.  The  Italian  band 
played  all  the  time  on  the  deck  of  the  Blanche, 
which  was  hardly  a  ship's  length  from  her  consort. 

After  a  light  lunch  had  been  served  in  the  cabins 
of  both  steamers,  the  party  on  board  of  the  Guar- 
dian-Mother, with  their  hosts,  were  conveyed  to  the 
Blanche,  where  they  spent  a  couple  of  hours,  and  had 
a  dance  on  her  promenade  deck  under  an  awning. 
Every  part  of  the  ship  was  visited ;  and  after  a  stay 
of  two  hours,  the  entire  company  was  conveyed  in 


SEVERAL   HILARIOUS   FROLICS  239 

two  trips  to  the  Guardian-Mother.  When  some  of 
the  guests  asked  how  the  passengers  contrived  to 
amuse  themselves  on  the  long  voyage,  Mrs.  Belgrave 
organized  a  section  of  them,  and  played  Blindman's 
Buff,  Turning  the  Cover,  Copenhagen,  and  other 
games,  to  the  intense  delight  of  the  guests. 

At  six  o'clock  dinner  was  announced.  Monsieur 
Odervie  had  had  the  assistance  of  not  less  than  four 
chefs  all  day ;  and  several  set  pieces  in  varied  ingre- 
dients, original  and  artistic,  adorned  the  two  tables. 
The  bill  of  fare  had  been  printed  in  the  city,  and  of 
course  it  was  all  French.  The  occasion  was  much 
the  same  as  at  the  palace,  with  all  the  confusion  of 
tongues.  At  the  close  of  the  dinner  Captain  Ring- 
gold  made  his  speech,  which  the  governor  could 
understand,  and  the  chief  official  of  the  province  re- 
sponded in  his  own  language.  Several  others  were 
heard ;  and  when  Dr.  Hawkes  attempted  to  make 
a  speech  in  the  polite  language,  he  excited  bursts  of 
laughter,  and  it  was  soon  evident  that  he  was  speak- 
ing for  the  fun  of  it.  His  gestures  were  more  French 
than  his  speech,  which  he  interlarded  with  English 
and  Latin.  Uncle  Moses  made  a  remark  in  the  latter 
language,  which  only  the  doctor  and  the  professor 
could  understand ;  but  it  was  as  vigorously  applauded 
as  though  every  word  had  been  comprehended. 

After  dinner  the  governor  called  for  some  singing, 
and  gospel  hymns  were  introduced.  Captain  Bay- 
burn  was  one  of  the  guests  on  board,  and  his  heavy 
bass  was  the  crowning  glory  of  the  music. 


240  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

The  ship  had  been  illuminated,  and  the  band  played 
at  times  on  the  deck.  The  governor  wanted  some 
more  of  Mrs.  Belgrave's  games,  and  they  were  re- 
peated in  the  music-room.  The  Cupids,  as  the  two 
fat  gentlemen  had  been  named  in  Egypt,  did  their 
best  on  this  occasion,  —  rolled  on  the  floor,  and  were 
as  antic  as  boys. 

It  was  after  midnight  when  the  Blanchita  began  to 
convey  the  guests  to  the  shore ;  and  the  adieux  were 
very  cordial,  with  many  regrets  that  the  ships  must 
depart  so  soon.  The  river  was  so  full  of  boats  that 
the  launch  had  some  difficulty  in  making  her  way  to 
the  shore ;  but  the  Malay  police  soon  made  an  open- 
ing for  her. 

Mr.  Froler  had  been  invited  to  sleep  on  board,  as 
had  Captain  Eayburn ;  and  both  accepted,  the  former 
returning  to  the  ship  after  he  had  seen  his  ladies 
home. 


THE  VOYAGE  ACROSS   THE   CHINA   SEA      241 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE    VOYAGE    ACROSS    THE    CHINA    SEA 

THE  tide  was  right  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  the  order  had  been  given  the  night  before  to  sail 
at  this  hour.  Mr.  Froler  and  Captain  Kayburn  were 
on  deck  before  this  time ;  and  the  latter  took  a  boat 
to  his  vessel,  after  very  hearty  thanks  for  the  pleasure 
he  had  enjoyed. 

"  I  don't  feel  at  all  like  leaving  your  steamer,  Cap- 
tain Einggold,  but  I  suppose  I  must,"  said  the  French 
gentleman,  as  the  commander  took  him  by  the  hand 
in  the  morning. 

"  I  am  as  sorry  to  have  you  leave  as  you  are  to 
do  so,"  replied  the  captain.  "  We  have  seen  the 
place,  and  made  the  acquaintance  of  quite  a  number 
of  the  people. ..  In  fact,  you  have  turned  our  visit  into 
a  general  frolic,  and  I  am  sure  my  party  have  never 
enjoyed  themselves  more  than  during  the  past  two 
days  ;  and  we  owe  it  all  to  you,  Mr.  Froler." 

"  You  praise  my  feeble  efforts  to  enable  you  to  see 
the  place  and  some  of  the  people  more  than  they 
deserve,"  replied  the  Frenchman. 

"  When  I  meet  you  in  New  York,  I  shall  do  my 
best  to  reciprocate  your  very  kind  and  hospitable  re- 
ception, and  I  am  confident  all  my  passengers  will 


242  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

do  the  same.     I  should  be  most  happy  to  have  you 
continue  on  board." 

"  I  should  avail  myself  of  your  very  kind  invitation 
so  far  as  to  go  to  Manila  if  there  were  a  line  of 
steamers  between  that  port  and  Saigon.  But  I  should 
have  to  go  by  the  way  of  Singapore.  With  your  per- 
mission, I  will  go  down  the  river  with  you." 

"  What  is  this  coming  alongside  ?  "  asked  the  cap- 
tain, as  he  moved  over  to  the  rail. 

"It  is  one  of  the  gunboats,  Captain,"  answered 
Mr.  Froler.  "  There  is  the  governor  on  her  deck 
and  two  ladies.  His  Excellency  has  come  off  to  say 
good-by  to  you." 

"  He  is  very  considerate." 

"  And  there  is  the  landlord  of  the  hotel." 

"  I  paid  his  bill  yesterday  afternoon,  and  for 
everything  up  to  this  morning,"  said  the  commander 
as  he  hastened  down  the  gangway  to  receive  the  gov- 
ernor. 

On  his  way  he  called  Louis,  who  was  on  deck 
early,  and  directed  him  to  have  the  stewards  call  all 
the  passengers,  and  to  inform  them  that  His  Excel- 
lency was  coming  on  board.  The  distinguished  offi- 
cial was  received  by  the  captain,  and  conducted  to  the 
deck.  It  was  a  cordial  greeting  on  both  sides.  The 
governor  declared  that  he  had  never  enjoyed  himself 
more  than  on  the  day  before,  and  he  should  go  down 
the  river  for  the  purpose  of  saying  his  adieux  to  the 
party. 

The  gunboat  would  escort  the  ships  to  Cape  St. 


THE   VOYAGE   ACEOSS    THE   CHINA    SEA      243 

Jacques,  and  he  would  return  with  it.  In  ten  min- 
utes after  the  call  the  passengers  began  to  come  on 
deck,  and  the  governor  greeted  them  as  though  they 
had  been  his  friends  for  years.  He  was  a  jolly  old 
fellow,  and  made  himself  as  familiar  with  the  tour- 
ists as  though  they  had  been  his  intimate  friends. 
When  Miss  Blanche  came  up  he  rushed  to  her,  and 
took  her  by  both  hands.  Mr.  Froler  suggested  that 
the  governor  had  come  more  to  see  the  beautiful 
women  on  board  than  for  any  other  purpose. 

The  barge  was  hastily  dropped  into  the  water,  and 
sent  for  the  passengers  of  the  Blanche,  the  third  offi- 
cer being  in  charge  of  the  message.  The  landlord 
of  the  hotel  said  he  had  come  on  board  to  pay  his 
respects  to  his  late  guests,  and  he  would  go  down  the 
river  with  them.  The  barge  returned  after  some 
delay,  for  none  of  her  party  were  out  of  their  rooms. 
They  warmly  welcomed  the  governor  and  the  captain 
of  the  gunboat,  who  had  been  one  of  the  guests  the 
day  before. 

Both  ships,  got  under  way  at  once,  for  the  anchors 
had  been  hove  short.  Mr.  Sage  and  the  cook  were 
set  to  work.  The  governor  divided  his  attentions  be- 
tween Mrs.  Noury  and  Miss  Blanche ;  and  the  pacha 
was  not  at  all  disturbed  by  his  old  Mohammedan 
notions  about  wives.  The  rajah  took  Mrs.  Blossom 
on  his  arm,  and  promenaded  the  upper  deck  with 
her  under  the  awnings. 

"  Faix !  Oi  belay ve  the  ould  feller  manes  to  marry 
her,"  said  Felix. 


244  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  Nonsense,  Flix !  He  is  a  Mohammedan,  and  she 
is  a  Methodist,  and  neither  of  them  would  consent 
to  marry  the  other,"  replied  Louis. 

"  He  knows  she's  a  fust-rate  nuss,  and  that's  what 
he  needs.  Oi'll  give  my  free  consint  to  it,"  added 
Felix,  as  Louis  was  called  away. 

.  The  three  hours'  run  to  the  sea  was  a  continuation 
of  the  frolic  of  the  day  before,  even  including  the 
games.  At  nine  o'clock,  with  the  ship  in  a  sheltered 
bay,  breakfast  was  served ;  and  it  was  as  lively  as  all 
the  other  meals  had  been.  More  speeches  and  a  con- 
fusion of  tongues  followed.  The  two  ladies  who  had 
come  off  in  the  gunboat  were  the  lady  who  was  said 
to  have  detained  Mr.  Froler  so  long  in  Saigon,  and 
her  mother ;  and  they  were  treated  with  the  utmost 
consideration  by  all.  The  band  played  during  the 
breakfast,  having  been  sent  for  by  the  pacha. 

Everybody  was  so  happy  that  Captain  Ringgold 
remained  three  hours  longer  than  he  had  intended. 
Then  the  time  to  separate  came ;  and  the  parting  was 
long  and  difficult,  bringing  about  another  confusion 
of  tongues,  but  it  was  over  at  last.  The  gunboat 
received  her  passengers  for  up  the  river ;  but  the 
craft  did  not  go  that  way,  and  accompanied  the  two 
steamers  about  five  miles  to  sea,  with  the  American 
flag  flying  at  the  fore. 

As  the  vessels  were  to  separate  finally,  the  gun- 
boat fired  a  salute  of  seven  guns,  which  was  returned 
by  both  ships ;  and  then  they  sped  on  their  voyage  of 
eight  hundred  miles  to  Manila.  The  captain  gave  out 


THE   VOYAGE  ACROSS   THE   CHINA   SEA      245 

the  course  east  by  north  half-north,  and  the  French  flag 
was  hauled  down  from  the  topmast.  The  passengers 
of  the  Blanche  had  been  sent  on  board  of  her,  while 
those  of  the  Guardian-Mother  continued  to  prome- 
nade the  deck.  The  commander  noticed  that  some  of 
them  were  gaping  and  yawning,  and  he  remembered 
that  they  had  had  only  three  or  four  hours'  sleep. 

"  I  advise  you  all  to  turn  in  and  finish  your  night's 
sleep,"  said  he.  "  Professor  Giroud  will  give  his  lec- 
ture on  the  Philippine  Islands  and  Manila  to-mor- 
row at  half-past  nine.  There  is  nothing  to  do  till 
dinner-time.  No  lunch  will  be  served  to-day  in  the 
cabin,  for  you  have  but  just  left  the  breakfast-table  ; 
but  any  one  can  ring  his  bell,  and  send  for  whatever 
is  wanted." 

The  passengers  seemed  to  think  favorably  of  this 
advice,  for  they  all  went  below.  There  was  nothing 
to  see ;  for  there  was  not  a  single  island  in  the  course, 
and  the  ship  was  soon  out  of  sight  of  land,  not  to  see 
it  again  till  she  made  Luban  Island,  off  the  entrance 
to  Manila  Bay.  The  wind  was  almost  dead  ahead, 
though  it  blew  very  gently  ;  but  this  circumstance 
soon  attracted  the  attention  of  Scott,  who  had  been  so 
busy  with  the  frolics  that  he  had  not  had  time  to  con- 
sult his  books  and  chart. 

It  was  not  his  watch;  and  he  went  to  his  state- 
room, returning  very  soon  with  the  blue  book  that 
goes  with  the  chart  of  the  Indian  Ocean.  He  found 
that  there  was  an  east  monsoon  which  prevailed  in 
the  China  Sea  north  of  the  equator. 


246  FOUR    YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  What's  the  matter,  Mr.  Scott  ?  "  asked  the  cap- 
tain when  he  found  him  absorbed  over  his  book. 
"Do  you  think  we  are  going  wrong,  or  that  there  is 
a  typhoon  within  hail  ?  " 

"  Neither,  sir ;  I  was  looking  to  see  why  the  wind 
was  east  to-day,"  replied  the  third  officer. 

"  You  have  discovered  by  this  time  that  there  is  an 
east  monsoon  coming  in  between  those  from  the  north- 
east and  south-west." 

"  But  we  did  not  find  it  coming  up  from  Sarawak 
to  Bangkok,"  added  the  young  officer. 

"  Your  course  carried  you  within  between  one  hun- 
dred and  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  the  Malay 
Peninsula.  This  and  the  great  island  of  Sumatra 
doubtless  have  some  influence  on  the  winds.  Both  of 
these  bodies  of  land  are  very  hot ;  and,  as  the  air  from 
them  tends  to  the  cooler  atmosphere  of  the  sea,  they 
favor  the  south-west  monsoons.  All  these  bodies  of 
land  modify  to  some  extent  the  prevailing  winds." 

Scott  was  satisfied  with  the  explanation,  for  it  con- 
formed with  what  he  found  in  his  book.  When  he 
carried  his  authority  back  to  his  room,  he  turned  in 
and  took  his  nap,  in  order  to  be  ready  for  his  watch 
at  eight  bells  in  the  afternoon  watch.  In  fact,  all  but 
the  watch  on  deck  were  asleep. 

The  passengers  seemed  to  be  rather  logy  in  their 
movements  and  heavy  of  intellect,  perhaps  because 
they  had  slept  so  well.  It  was  cool  at  sea  in  com- 
parison with  the  shore,  and  they  had  by  this  time 
become  accustomed  to  extremely  hot  weather.  But 


THE  VOYAGE  ACROSS   THE  CHINA  SEA      247 

they  waked  up  before  the  meal  was  finished,  and  all 
the  talk  was  about  the  frolics  of  the  last  two  days. 

"What  do  you  call  the  place  where  we  go  next, 
Captain  Kinggold  ?  "  asked  Uncle  Moses.  "  I  see 
it  spelled  in  the  books  with  a  single  I  and  with  a 
double  I.  Which  is  correct  ?  " 

"  Both/'  replied  the  commander.  "  If  you  are  writ- 
ing Spanish,  you  use  one  I ;  if  you  are  writing  Eng- 
lish, you  may  use  two  Vs9  though  I  don't  believe  in 
doing  so." 

"  Do  the  Spaniards  ever  double  the  I  ? " 

"I  will  leave  the  professor  to  answer  that  ques- 
tion/' replied  the  captain. 

"They  never  spell  Manila  with  two  Vs  when  they 
spell  it  correctly ;  for  that  would  make  another  word 
of  it, —  a  common  noun  instead  of  a  proper,  and  mean- 
ing quite  another  thing,"  the  professor  explained. 

"  Perhaps  I  am  stupid,  Professor,  and  I  know  next 
to  nothing  of  the  Spanish  language,"  added  Uncle 
Moses,  "but  I  don't  quite  understand  you.  If  a 
Spaniard  speHed  the  capital  of  the  Philippine  Islands 
with  a  double  I  it  wouldn't  be  the  capital  at  all  ?  " 

"It  would  not." 

"What  would  it  be?" 

"It  would  be  something  of  which  Miss  Blanche 
has  a  couple  in  her  possession ;  and  I  may  say  the 
same  of  every  lady  at  the  table,"  said  the  professor 
with  a  cheerful  smile  on  his  face. 

"  But  which  no  gentleman  has  ? "  suggested  the 
worthy  trustee. 


248  FOUR  YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

"  I  don't  say  that  ;  for  the  word  means  In  Spanish 
a  small  hand." 

There  was  a  general  laugh  around  the  table,  and 
all  the  party  held  out  their  paws  like  dancing  bears. 

"  Then  Spaniards  must  be  good  spellers,"  said  Dr. 
Hawkes.  "There  is  very  great  difference  between 
the  capital  of  the  Philippine  Islands  and  Miss 
Blanche's  pretty  little  hands." 

"  LI,  which  we  call  double  Z,  is  treated  as  one  letter 
in  Spanish,  and  it  has  its  own  peculiar  sound,  nearly 
equivalent  to  ly  in  English;  and  therefore  Miss 
Blanche's  small  hand  would  be  called  mah-nil-ya, 
which  is  not  the  capital  spoken  off.  The  name  of 
all  the  islands  is  spelled  in  English  with  double  p, 
—  Philippine;  but  that  is  not  Spanish,  though  the 
geographers  have  generally  adopted  that  orthography. 
The  Spanish  name  is  Las  Islas  Filipinas" 

"  Thank  you,  Professor ;  and  I  think  I  understand 
it  now,"  added  Uncle  Moses. 

"  Quiera  V.  ensenarme  sus  manillas,  Signorina 
Blanche  ?  "  said  Louis  with  a  laugh.  Of  course  she 
did  not  understand  him ;  and  he  added,  "  Will  you 
show  me  your  small  hands,  Miss  Blanche  ? "  But 
she  did  not  do  so. 

"  I  should  very  much  like  to  have  all  geographical 
names  reduced  to  a  common  standard,  for  I  do  not 
believe  in  translating  proper  names,"  said  the  com- 
mander. "I  have  been  sometimes  greatly  bothered 
by  the  difference  in  names.  When  I  came  to  Aachen 
in  Belgium,  I  did  not  know  where  I  was  till  I  looked 


THE   VOYAGE   ACROSS   THE   CHINA   SEA      249 

in  my  guide-book,  and  found  it  was  Aix-la-Chapelle. 
Vienna  has  about  three  or  four  different  names,  and 
people  there  would  not  know  what  you  meant  if  you 
called  it  as  we  do,  or  Vienne  as  the  French  write 
and  spell  it." 

"I  think  you  are  quite  right,  Mr.  Commander,'7 
added  the  professor. 

"But  I  have  a  few  words  to  say  'about  our  voy- 
age ;  for  I  find  it  necessary  to  repress  the  ambition 
of  some  of  my  passengers,"  continued  the  captain. 
"  Some  of  them  wish  to  visit  all  the  Philippine  Isl- 
ands, and  there  are  about  two  thousand  of  them." 

"  Oh  !  oh !  oh !  "  groaned  some  of  the  party. 

"  But  the  number  I  gave  includes  every  rock,  reef, 
and  shoal  that  lifts  its  head  above  the  water.  Some 
call  it  twelve  hundred.  We  will  not  stay  to  count 
them ;  but  there  are  many  of  them  big  enough  to 
have  quite  a  number  of  towns  on  them.  I  wish  to  an- 
nounce that  it  will  not  be  possible  for  us  to  go  to  any 
of  them  except  Manila,  spelled  with  one  I,  and  make 
an  excursion _up  the  Pasig  Kiver,  and  to  the  lake. 
But  the  ambition  of  the  party  is  more  expansive  in 
regard  to  China  and  Japan.  As  I  have  told  you, 
we  can  take  only  a  specimen  city  in  each  country  we 
visit.  Hong-Kong  and  Canton  in  China,  with  some 
more  northern  port  or  city  not  yet  selected,  will  be 
enough  to  give  us  an  idea  of  the  Central  Flowery 
Nation." 

The  party  left  the  cabin,  and  went  on  deck  to 
study  the  map  of  the  islands  they  were  to  visit. 


250  FOUK   YOUNG   EXPLOliEKS 


CHAPTEK   XXVII 

SOME    ACCOUNT    OF    THE    PHILIPPINES 

THE  Guardian-Mother  continued  on  her  course 
without  encountering  either  typhoon  or  other  tem- 
pest, and  her  passengers  kept  very  comfortable  under 
the  awnings.  The  ship  was  in  about  10°  of  north  lati- 
tude and  110°  of  east  longitude.  She  was  sailing  with 
the  wind  nearly  dead  ahead,  and  therefore  the  breeze 
was  good  on  deck,  and  even  in  the  cabins. 

At  the  appointed  hour  the  passengers  were  in  their 
chairs  in  Conference  Hall,  two  of  them  occupied 
by  the  siamangs,  and  the  baby  in  the  lap  of  Miss 
Blanche,  who  had  become  very  much  attached  to  the 
little  creature.  On  the  frame  in  front  of  the  orang- 
outang was  a  complete  map  of  the  Philippine  Islands, 
covering  seventeen  degrees  of  latitude,  and  ten  of 
longitude,  with  enough  of  the  seas  around  them  to 
make  their  position  clear  to  the  audience. 

Professor  Giroud  was  introduced  for  this  occasion 
as  the  speaker ;  and  he  was  received  with  more  than 
usual  applause,  for  he  had  not  occupied  the  rostrum  as 
much  as  formerly,  General  Noury  having  been  kept 
busy  since  his  reappearance  off  Batavia.  It  may 
be  said  that  after  the  rest  of  the  day  before  the 
party  were  in  excellent  condition  to  be  instructed. 


SOME   ACCOUNT   OF   THE   PHILIPPINES        251 

"  We  are  sailing  just  now  in  comparatively  shallow 
water  j  and  just  to  the  south  of  us  there  are  innumer- 
able shoals,  with  only  from  four  to  ten  fathoms  of 
water  on  them.  If  the  water  were  entirely  drained 
from  the  China  Sea,  the  bottom  would  be  like  a  hilly 
region ;  for  these  numerous  shoals  would  be  the  tops 
of  various  elevations,  and  the  same  would  be  true 
of  a  less  extent  north  of  us.  The  portion  of  the 
sea  over  which  we  are  now  moving  would  appear  to 
be  a  considerable  valley.  You  all  have  imagination 
enough  to  see  what  I  have  described. 

"  All  around  the  Philippines  on  the  east  and  south 
the  water  is  from  two  to  four  thousand  fathoms  deep ; 
so  that  if  the  seas  were  dried  up  around  them,  these 
islands  would  appear  like  a  number  of  irregular 
chains  of  mountains,  and  the  highest  peak  would 
be  over  10,000  feet  above  the  present  surface  of  the 
water. 

"  From  north  to  south  these  islands  extend  about 
a  thousand  miles,  and  from  east  to  west  about  half 
that  distance,  with  the  Sulu  or  Mindoro  Sea  four 
hundred  miles  across  it  in  either  direction,  nearly 
enclosed  within  them  j  for  the  north-east  coast  of 
Borneo  is  part  of  its  boundary  on  the  south.  As 
the  commander  mentioned  at  dinner  last  evening, 
there  are  over  two  thousand  islands  in  the  group ; 
and  leaving  out  those  rocks  and  shoals  which  are  not 
big  enough  for  a  man  to  stand  upon,  there  are 
twelve  hundred  of  them. 

"On  a  map  of  the  world,  or  even  of  Asia,  the 


252  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

Philippine  Islands  occupy  but  a  small  space,  and  in 
your  school-days  you  have  doubtless  regarded  them 
as  of  but  little  importance ;  but  several  of  the  islands 
are  larger  than  any  New  England  State,  and  two  of 
them  are  as  large  as  Virginia  and  Ohio,  and  nearly 
as  large  as  New  York  and  Pennsylvania.  Luzon 
and  Mindanao,"  and  the  professor  pointed  to  them 
on  the  map,  "  the  most  northerly  and  the  most  south- 
erly, have  each  about  40,000  square  miles,  and  the 
area  of  all  the  islands  is  116,000  miles.  I  think 
most  of  you  could  have  no  idea  from  your  study 
of  maps  of  the  extent  of  the  Philippines. 

"Mindoro,  the  next  island  south  of  Luzon,  has 
9,000  ;  and  the  others  from  1,200  to  5,500.  I  shall 
not  mention  or  describe  them  separately.  We  shall 
visit  only  Manila  and  the  country  near  it,  and  you 
would  not  remember  even  the  names  of  the  islands 
over  night.  They  are  all  mountainous  and  volcanic. 
The  highest  mountain  is  Apo,  in  Mindanao,  which  is 
10,400  feet  high,  and  there  are  others  of  9,000  feet. 

"The  islands  are  volcanic,  and  therefore  subject 
to  earthquakes ;  and  an  instrument  in  Manila  which 
indicates  vibrations  of  the  earth  is  said  to  be  shaking 
about  all  the  time.  Several  destructive  ones  are 
recorded  in  the  past.  In  1863  Manila  was  nearly 
destroyed  by  one,  and  the  great  southern  island  is 
especially  liable  to  them. 

"  The  mountain  ranges  mostly  extend  north  and 
south;  and  there  is  space  between  them  for  some 
considerable  rivers,  as  the  Rio  Grande  in  Luzon  has 


SOME   ACCOUNT   OF   THE  PHILIPPINES        253 

a  course  of  220  miles.  The  Agusan  in  Mindanao  is 
navigable  for  60  miles.  In  this  island  are  several 
lakes,  with  rivers  flowing  from  them.  In  addition 
to  which  are  many  lacustrine  basins." 

"  Spare  us,  Professor  ! "  exclaimed  Uncle  Moses. 

"  The  word  comes  from  lacus,  Latin  for  lake,  and 
applies  here  to  such  lakes  as  send  their  overflow  to 
the  sea  or  other  lakes  by  streams  made  by  the  rush 
of  water.  But  I  don't  use  many  such  words,  and  I 
hardly  expected  a  classical  scholar  to  object,"  replied 
the  professor. 

"  But  I  objected  in  behalf  of  several  here  who 
never  studied  Latin ;  and  besides  the  overflow  is 
entirely  apart  from  the  root  of  the  word.  But  I 
am  satisfied,  and  the  commander  may  invite  you  to 
proceed,"  chuckled  Brother  Avoirdupois. 

"On  account  of  the  high  mountains  and  the 
abundant  sea-breezes,  though  hot  and  moist,  this 
group  is  not  so  unhealthy  as  most  tropical  islands 
and  countries.  The  fevers  of  hot  countries  are  here 
of  the  rnild,  intermittent  kind  "  — 

"What  is  intermittent,  Professor?"  asked  Felix. 
"  Is  it  the  kind  they  don't  have  in  Ireland  ? " 

"I  should  say  that  it  was." 

"An  intermittent  fever,  Felix,  is  one  that  comes 
and  goes,  like  the  old  woman's  soap,"  interjected 
Mrs.  Blossom,  the  nurse;  and  everybody  laughed  to 
hear  her  say  anything. 

"The  diseases  most  dreaded  in  these  islands  are 
consumption,  dysentery,  and  anaemia"  — 


254  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"  Mercy,  Professor !  "  cried  Mr.  Woolridge. 

"The  reduction  in  the  amount  of  blood  in  the 
system,  and  the  condition  resulting  from  this  loss, 
is  anaemia.  Dr.  Hawkes  can  explain  it  more  fully," 
replied  the  professor. 

"Not  necessary/'  added  the  surgeon. 

"As  all  over  the  Eastern  Archipelago,  there  are 
two  seasons,  the  wet  and  the  dry,  produced  by  the 
monsoons ;  but  the  irregularity  of  the  surface  vari- 
ously modifies  the  result.  For  the  southern  and 
western  sides  of  the  mountains  the  south-west  mon- 
soons give  the  wet  season,  and  the  north-east  the 
dry  season,  and  vice  versa.  Manila  is  subjected  by 
the  influence  of  the  south-west  winds  to  rains  from 
June  to  November,  with  dry  weather  the  rest  of 
the  year. 

"  The  temperature  is  about  the  same  all  the  year 
round.  The  coolest  month  is  December,  when  the 
glass  stays  at  about  77° ;  and  in  May,  the  hottest 
month,  at  86°.  Of  course  there  are  days,  and  times 
of  day,  when  the  temperature  is  lower  than  the  one, 
and  higher  than  the  other.  The  extremes  where  we 
are  going  vary  only  about  25°  —  from  66°  to  91° ;  and 
we  have  it  hotter  than  the  last  in  New  York.  The 
average  rainfall  is  about  seventy  inches,  varying  by 
months  from  one-third  of  an  inch  in  March,  to 
twenty  inches  in  August. 

"The  flora  of  the  islands  is  just  what  you  would 
expect  in  this  climate.  Nearly  or  quite  all  the 
plants  you  have  found  in  the  other  islands  you 


SOME  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  PHILIPPINES       255 

have  visited  are  to  be  found  here.  Particularly 
plenteous  here  are  the  fibrous  plants,  and  abaca 
forms  in  its  prepared  state  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant exports  of  the  islands.  This  is  a  sort  of 
plantain  from  which  comes  the  Manila  hemp,  as 
it  is  sometimes  called,  though  it  is  a  misnomer; 
and  with  us  it  is  called  simply  manila,  the  sailors 
tell  me.  It  is  extensively  cultivated  here,  and 
grows  something  like  the  banana. 

"The  stalks  on  which  the  leaves  grow  are  split 
into  long  strips,  are  threshed,  combed,  washed,  and 
dried,  and  then  they  become  manila,  of  which  many 
of  the  ropes  of  this  ship  are  made,  though  hemp 
makes  the  better  article.  The  finest  fibres  are 
sometimes  fifteen  feet  long,  and  from  such  some 
very  delicate  manufactured  goods  are  produced. 
The  coarser  parts  are  used  for  cordage,  which  is 
very  serviceable.  When  we  were  at  Nassau,  in  the 
Island  of  New  Providence,  last  year,  we  saw  fields 
of  sisal,  which  has  in  late  years  come  into  use  as 
a  substitute  for  common  hemp  and  manila,  and  is 
said  to  resist  the  action  of  sea-water  better  than 
any  other  material. 

"The  fauna  may  seem  to  be  quite  limited  to  the 
Nimrods  of  our  company,  for  the  large  animals  we 
have  found  in  other  islands  do  not  exist  in  the 
Philippines.  The  buffalo  and  the  gibbon  are  the 
largest  in  the  islands,  with  a  variety  of  monkeys. 
The  elephant,  tiger,  rhinoceros,  bear,  and  orang- 
outang have  no  home  here.  The  only  dangerous 


256  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

animals  are  the  crocodile,  serpents,  and  other  rep- 
tiles. If  the  Nimrods  wish  to  hunt  they  will  have 
to  try  their  hand  at  the  wild  buffaloes,  though  they 
are  not  to  be  found  near  Manila. 

"Birds  are  numerous  and  various,  and  especially 
the  gallinaceous  bipeds,  such  as  barnyard  fowls, 
grouse,  and  pheasants;  but  the  most  highly  valued 
here  is  the  '  rooster/  if  I  may  call  him  by  his 
common  American  name,  for  cock-fighting  is  one 
of  the  national  amusements  of  Spain  and  its  de- 
pendencies. You  will  see  plenty  of  it  in  Manila, 
if  you  are  so  disposed ;  but  it  is  not  an  elevating 
sport,  any  more  than  bull-fighting,  which  may  pos- 
sibly prevail  here.  Coal  and  iron  are  the  most 
common  minerals,  with  others;  but  mining  is  too 
severe  work  for  the  enterprise  of  the  people,  and 
I  believe  most  of  the  mines  of  Cuba  are  worked 
by  Americans. 

"The  original  inhabitants  of  the  Philippines  were 
doubtless  Negritos ;  and  I  hasten  to  explain  the  name 
before  I  ain  <  picked  up.'  It  was  the  word  used  by 
the  Spaniards  to  designate,  not  alone  the  negroes  as 
we  find  them  in  Africa,  but  those  who  are  similar  to 
them.  People  of  this  race  formerly  inhabited  all 
these  islands,  but  there  are  scarcely  any  of  them  left 
at  the  present  time.  Hindus,  Malays,  and  other 
natives  of  the  adjacent  countries  and  islands,  came 
here,  and  the  races  mingled. 

"  The  people  found  here  at  the  present  time  have  a 
variety  of  names,  beginning  with  the  pure  Spaniards, 


SOME   ACCOUNT   OF   THE   PHILIPPINES       257 

Creoles,  Tagals,  Chinese,  and  Mestizoes.  The  Span- 
iards and  the  Tagals  need  no  explanation,  for  the 
latter  are  the  pure  natives  of  the  islands.  Creole,  I 
believe,  is  variously  used  in  different  locations;  but 
it  is  a  Spanish  word,  coming  from  criolla,  which 
means  grown  up.  They  are  one  thing  in  the  Spanish 
West  Indies,  another  in  Brazil. 

"  A  more  general  definition  is  a  person  born  in  any 
country,  but  not  of  native  blood.  In  the  Philippines, 
Creoles  are  the  children  of  Spanish  fathers  and  native 
mothers.  Mestizoes  are  children  of  Chinese  parents 
on  one  side  and  natives  on  the  other.  The  last  class 
are  usually  called  '  metis '  in  Manila  and  elsewhere. 
You  will  doubtless  see  all  of  these  classes,  and  with 
a  little  practice  will  be  able  to  identify  them. 

"  The  Spaniards  of  the  islands  are  Catholics,  often, 
I  am  sorry  to  say,  merely  nominally  such.  Many  of 
the  natives  are  Mohammedan,  though  the  greater 
portion  are  Catholic.  The  Philippines  were  discov- 
ered by  Magellan,  as  we  generally  call  him,  though 
that  was  not -his  correct  name,  in  1521.  He  was 
born  in  Portugal,  and  his  name  was  Magalhaes.  He 
served  as  a  soldier  in  Malacca  and  Morocco,  and  was 
lamed  for  life  in  a  battle  in  the  latter.  He  did  not 
think  his  services  were  appreciated  by  his  king,  and 
he  offered  them  to  Spain. 

"  He  presented  to  Charles  V.  a  plan  for  reaching 
the  Moluccas  by  sailing  to  the  west ;  and,  his  scheme 
being  approved,  he  was  fitted  out  with  a  fleet  of  five 
ships.  He  passed  through  the  straits  south  of  Pata- 


258  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

gonia,  which  still  bear  his  name,  crossed  the  great 
ocean,  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Pacific,  though 
it  was  discovered  by  Balboa,  who  called  it  the  South 
Sea.  Succeeding  in  his  enterprise,  he  reached  the 
Philippines,  after  putting  down  a  mutiny.  He  was 
killed  in  an  expedition  he  led  in  the  islands.  The 
Victoria,  his  ship,  returned  to  Spain  in  charge  of  one 
of  his  subordinates,  thus  completing  the  first  voyage 
ever  made  around  the  world. 

"There  were  several  governments  in  the  islands, 
and  most  of  them  were  conquered  or  conciliated  so 
that  they  came  under  Spanish  rule ;  but  the  Moham- 
medans of  Sulu,  the  Archipelago  north-east  of  Bor- 
neo, and  Mindanao  retained  their  independence  for  a 
long  period,  and  they  still  retain  their  boundaries 
and  government. 

"Manila  has  a  population  of  270,000,  and  there 
are  several  other  considerable  towns  with  30,000  or 
more.  There  is  a  submarine  cable  to  Hong  Kong, 
720  miles  of  telegraph,  and  16  miles  of  railroad  out 
of  Manila.  The  army  consists  of  4,800  men,  with 
3,500  gendarmerie,  or  police,  such  as  ride  in  pairs 
all  over  Spain.  It  has  a  navy  of  two  corvettes,  six 
avisos,  or  despatch  vessels,  sixteen  gunboats,  with 
2,000  sailors  and  marines.  I  believe  I  have  told  you 
all  that  is  necessary  to  know  about  the  Philippine 
Islands  in  a  general  way ;  and  I  thank  you  for  your 
attention  through  the  long  talk  I  have  given  you,"  the 
professor  concluded,  and  retired  from  the  rostrum  in 
the  midst  of  the  hearty  applause  bestowed  upon  him. 


SOME   ACCOUNT   OF   THE   PHILIPPINES       259 

"  I  think  we  all  know  more  about  the  Philippines 
than  we  ever  knew  before,  though  I  have  been  there ; 
and  to-morrow  I  shall  have  something  to  say,  very 
briefly,  about  the  city  of  Manila,"  said  the  com- 
mander. 

"  When  shall  we  get  there,  Captain  ?  "  asked  Dr. 
Hawkes. 

"  Day  after  to-morrow  morning ;  but  I  shall  lay  off 
so  as  not  to  get  there  at  three  in  the  morning." l 

1  On  board  of  a  steamer  from  Colombo,  Ceylon,  to  London,  I 
met  an  educated  Scotch  gentleman  from  Manila,  who  pronounced 
the  name  Philippine,  the  last  i  long.  On  the  steamer  from  Liver- 
pool to  Boston,  I  met  a  lady,  also  from  Manila,  and  she  pro- 
nounced it  with  a  long  i  in  the  last  syllable.  I  conclude  this  is 
the  fashion  among  English-speaking  people  in  the  Philippine 
Islands.  — O.  O. 


260  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE    DESCRIPTION    OF    AN   EARTHQUAKY    CITY 

IN  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day  out  Professor 
Giroud  called  his  pupils  together  in  the  library, 
which  was  the  schoolroom  of  the  ship,  and  resumed 
the  lessons  which  had  been  interrupted  since  the  ar- 
rival at  Sarawak.  The  long  intermission  had  sharp- 
ened the  intellects  of  the  class,  and  they  were  very 
earnest  in  their  studies.  But  it  could  be  only  for 
the  afternoon  and  the  next  day,  for  the  commander 
was  very  diligent  in  the  business  of  sight-seeing. 

At  half -past  nine  the  next  forenoon,  the  passengers 
were  all  assembled  in  Conference  Hall,  as  the  captain 
had  appointed ;  and  the  siamangs,  who  spent  much 
of  the  time  aloft  running  up  and  down  and  along  the 
foreyards,  were  in  their  usual  places,  for  chairs  had 
been  provided  for  them  ;  and  they  looked  as  grave  and 
attentive  as  though  they  understood  the  whole  of 
the  lecture.  Captain  Einggold  appeared  on  the  ros- 
trum, after  he  had  patted  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mingo  on  the 
head,  and  glanced  at  Miss  Mingo  in  the  lap  of  Miss 
Blanche. 

"Manila  is  the  capital  of  all  the  Spanish  posses- 
sions in  the  East,  as  the  professor  has  informed 
you  j  it  has  a  population  of  270,000,  which  is  40,000 


DESCRIPTION   OF  AN  EARTHQUAKY   CITY      261 

greater  than  Havana,"  he  began.  "  It  is  on  the 
south-west  coast  of  Luzon,  650  miles  from  Hong- 
Kong,  which  is  a  run  of  about  forty-seven  hours  for 
the  ship.  It  is  located  on  both  sides  of  the  little 
river  Pasig,  which  is  the  outlet  of  Lake  Bahia,  or 
the  Lake  of  the  Bay.  When  I  was  here  many  years 
ago,  I  spoke  Spanish  enough  to  get  along;  but  I 
shall  leave  the  language  now  to  the  professor  and 
Mr.  Belgrave,  for  I  forget  most  of  it. 

"  In  going  to  the  city  we  have  to  pass  through 
Manila  Bay,  which  is  really  a  sea  of  itself;  and, 
though  it  is  land-locked,  it  affords  little  if  any  pro- 
tection for  vessels  in  heavy  weather,  for  it  is  about 
thirty  miles  long  from  north  to  south,  and  twenty- 
five  from  east  to  west.  A  west  or  south-west  wind 
rakes  it  about  the  same  as  the  ocean. 

"  The  city  forms  a  circle,  with  a  piece  of  it  cut  off 
on  the  bay ;  and  the  suburbs  are  on  several  islands 
in  the  river  and  bay.  To  keep  a  clear  channel,  the 
Pasig  is  extended  into  the  bay  between  two  piers, 
with  a  fort"  at  the  end  of  one,  and  a  lighthouse  at 
the  end  of  the  other.  The  anchorage  in  the  bay  is 
good  enough  so  far  as  holding  ground  is  concerned, 
except  in  the  south-west  monsoon,  when  vessels  of 
four  hundred  tons  or  more  have  to  go  to  Cavite,  ten 
miles  south  south-west  from  the  city ;  and  their  cargo 
must  be  taken  to  and  from  them  in  lighters. 

"The  oldest  part  of  Manila  is  on  the  southern 
bank  of  the  Pasig,  and  is  strongly  fortified;  but  it 
has  a  dilapidated  look,  for  it  was  founded  in  1571. 


262  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

On  the  north  side  of  the  river  is  the  Binondo 
suburb,  as  it  is  called,  which  is  .more  populous  than 
the  old  part.  The  foreign  merchants  live  here,  and 
it  is  the  more  important  commercial  centre.  You 
would  hardly  know,  if  you  waked  from  a  sleep  there, 
whether  you  were  in  a  Spanish  or  an  Oriental  city, 
for  you  would  see  something  of  both.  Gloomy-look- 
ing churches,  awkward  towers,  and  heavily  built  stone 
houses  are  mixed  up  with  pleasant  cottages  in  groves 
of  tropical  trees.  I  believe  the  people  are  now  in- 
clined to  build  more  of  wood  than  stone  on  account 
of  the  prevalence  of  earthquakes,  which  shake  down 
the  heavier  structures,  and  crush  the  occupants  under 
the  weight  of  the  material. 

"  As  in  Burma  and  Siam,  the  cottages  I  mentioned 
are  built  on  posts ;  for  the  land  is  sometimes  inundated, 
and  the  water  requires  a  free  passage,  or  it  would  do 
more  mischief.  In  the  month  of  August,  nearly  two 
feet  of  water  falls  on  a  level;  and  it  makes  bad  work 
in  the  low  places'.  The  streets  are  wide  and  not 
paved ;  and  in  the  rainy  season,  with  a  foot  or  two 
of  water  lying  loose  around,  they  become  very  nearly 
impassable.  The  houses  are  built  in  Spanish  fash- 
ion, with  a  central  court-yard.  They  are  generally 
two  stories  high  j  for  in  an  earthquaky  country  like 
this,  where  terra  firma  becomes  terra  shaky,  the 
people  are  not  encouraged  to  erect  buildings  twenty 
stories  high,  as  in  New  York  and  Chicago. 

"  An  iron  suspension  bridge  connects  the  old  town 
with  Binondo.  It  was  formerly  a  stone  bridge,  built 


DESCRIPTION   OF   AN   EAIiTHQUAKY   CITY      263 

more  than  two  hundred  years  ago,  which  was  thrown 
down  by  the  earthquake  of  1863.  A  street  in  the 
new  suburb,  called  the  Escolto,  seems  to  be  the 
Broadway  of  the  city;  for  it  is  the  great  shopping 
locality,  and  it  is  flanked  with  shops  and  stalls,  filled 
with  people  of  various  races.  Beyond  this  the  Chi- 
nese, Tagals,  and  half-castes  congregate  in  numerous 
occupations,  as  jewellers,  oil  and  soap  dealers,  con- 
fectioners, painters,  and  those  of  other  trades.  Here 
you  will  find  plenty  of  gambling-houses,  if  you  are 
looking  for  them. 

"  As  in  Singapore,  certain  sections  of  the  city  are 
given  up  to  particular  branches  of  business.  At  San 
Fernando,  there  are  immense  cigar  manufactories,  like 
the  one  you  saw  in  Sevilla  in  Spain,  where  six  thou- 
sand women  are  employed  ;  and  probably  as  many  are 
to  be  found  in  some  of  them  here,"  continued  the 
commander,  consulting  memoranda  he  took  from  his 
pocket.  "  At  Santo  Mesa  is  a  cordage  manufactory ; 
at  Alcaicerfa  the  Chinese  have  a  landing-place  for 
their  sampans ;  fishermen  and  weavers  live  at  Tondo, 
whose  gardens  supply  the  markets  with  fruit  and 
vegetables  ;  Malate  is  the  resort  of  the  embroiderers  ; 
Paco  is  favored  by  artists  and  artisans;  and  Santa 
Ana  and  San  Pedro  Macati  are  health  resorts." 

"  McCarty  ! "  exclaimed  Felix,  as  he  caught  what 
sounded  like  an  Irish  name.  "I  wondher  if  he 
comes  from  Kilkenny." 

"  A  place,  and  not  a  man ;  and  it  did  not  come  from 
Kilkenny.  It  is  a  Spanish  name,  spelled  Ma-ca-ti," 


264  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLOKERS 

replied  tne  captain.  "  I  have  read  off  all  these  names 
from  my  memoranda,  not  that  I  expect  you  to  re- 
member them,  but  to  show  you  how  things  work 
here.  All  the  buildings  for  public  use  in  a  capital 
city  are  found  here,  and  a  cathedral,  the  palaces  of 
the  governor-general  and  the  archbishop,  an  elegant 
town-house,  churches,  three  colleges  for  young  men, 
and  two  for  young  women  (not  behind  the  times, 
you  see),  a  large  theatre,  probably  not  as  large  as 
that  in  Barcelona,  custom-house,  barracks,  etc.  The 
Prado  is  the  largest  public  square,  and  is  ornamented 
with  a  statue  of  Charles  IV.,  or  Carlos,  King  of 
Spain  from  1788  to  1808  ;  and  I  wonder  there  is  not 
one  of  Magellan,  who  discovered  the  islands,  and  lost 
his  life  here. 

"  The  streets  of  the  city  are  lighted  with  kerosene- 
oil  lamps,  and  not  with  gas,  for  the  reason  that  the 
earthquakes  made  bad  work  of  the  latter;  and  the 
works  were  destroyed  in  a  hurricane  in  1882,  as  was 
half  the  city.  They  do  not  build  houses  of  brick  or 
stone  now,  but  of  wood,  the  former  being  so  destruc- 
tive of  human  life  in  an  earthquake.  The  native 
dwellings  are  constructed  of  bamboo,  thatched  with 
the  leaves  of  the  nipa  palm. 

"  Glass  windows  are  not  used  here ;  but  the  flat 
shell  of  a  large  oyster  is  substituted  for  glass,  and 
the  sashes  all  slide  horizontally.  Both  of  these  de- 
partures from  ordinary  methods  are  said  to  be  to 
exclude  the  great  heat ;  but  I  confess  that  I  cannot 
see  it.  I  find  among  my  memoranda  that  21,000 


DESCRIPTION   OF   AN    EARTHQUAKY   CITY      265 

women  and  1,500  inan  are  employed  in  making 
cigars;  which  in  Sevilla  includes  the  putting  up  of 
tobacco  in  papers  for  smoking,  and  it  may  be  so 
here.  Before  I  close  I  wish  to  say  that  authorities 
differ  in  regard  to  the  population  of  the  city;  but 
I  think  the  professor  was  about  right  in  putting  it 
at  270,000.  Lippincott  gives  it  with  the  suburbs  at 
160,000,  and  Chambers  at  nearly  300,000.  You  have 
been  patient  and  longer  suffering  than  I  intended  you 
should  be,  and  I  thank  you." 

The  commander  made  his  bow,  and  descended  from 
the  rostrum.  Hearty  applause  followed,  and  the 
siamangs  joined  with  repeated  cries  and  squeaks. 
Miss  Mingo  had  fallen  asleep  in  her  comfortable 
quarters ;  but  the  noise  woke  her  with  a  start,  and 
she  sprang  to  the  shoulder  of  Miss  Blanche,  where 
she  gave  her  "  Ka  !  Ea  !  Ka  ! "  and  the  squeak 
which  is  the  "  tiger  "  at  the  end  of  it.  As  the  audi- 
ence left  their  chairs  for  a  walk  on  the  deck,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Mingo  sprang  into  the  fore-rigging,  climb- 
ing the  shronds,  and  over  the  futtock-shrouds,  dis- 
daining to  crawl  through  the  lubber-hole  to  the  top. 

Miss  Mingo  looked  up  at  them,  and  then  sprang 
into  the  rigging ;  for  her  strength  and  agility  seemed 
to  have  greatly  increased  since  she  came  on  board, 
making  it  probable  that  the  sea-air  agreed  with  her. 
But  her  mamma  did  not  appear  to  be  quite  satisfied 
with  this  venture ;  and  she  sprang  over  the  futtocks, 
and  seized  her  with  one  arm  as  she  began  to  mount 
them. 


266  FOUK    YOUNG   EXPLOKEKS 

Mr.  Mingo  ran  up  the  topmast  rigging,  and  seated 
himself  on  the  cross-trees.  The  anxious  mother 
looked  at  him  a  moment,  and  then  darted  down  to 
the  deck  with  the  baby  in  her  arm.  Then,  seeing 
Mrs.  Belgrave  seated  in  one  of  the  arm-chairs  on  the 
promenade,  she  carried  Miss  Mingo  to  her,  placing 
the  infant  in  her  lap.  The  lady  immediately  folded 
the  little  one  in  her  arms  so  that  she  could  not 
escape,  caressing  her  so  that  she  did  not  offer  to 
follow  her  mother  up  the  rigging,  though  she  watched 
her  ascent. 

Mrs.  Mingo  ascended  to  the  cross-trees,  where  she 
and  the  gentleman  siamang  seemed  to  hold  a  con- 
ference. The  latter  then  sprang  up  to  the  topgallant 
yard,  and  was  closely  followed  by  his  mate.  They 
turned  somersets,  and  went  through  a  variety  of 
athletic  feats,  which  greatly  interested  their  audience 
on  deck,  who  gave  them  a  round  of  applause.  They 
seemed  to  understand  and  appreciate  this  manifesta- 
tion of  approbation,  for  they  attempted  various  other 
feats. 

Mrs.  Mingo  got  hold  of  the  topgallant  halliards, 
and  finding  them  loose,  swung  out  over  the  lee  side 
of  the  ship.  Captain  Einggold  was  startled  at  this 
movement.  She  swung  out  as  far  as  she  could,  the 
line  yielding,  and  suddenly  she  dropped  into  the 
water.  The  captain  rang  the  gong  to  stop  the  screw, 
and  then  to  back  it.  If  the  siamang  could  swim  at  all, 
she  was  very  clumsy  in  the  water ;  and  the  waves,  for 
there  was  considerable  sea  on,  seemed  to  bother  her. 


DESCRIPTION   OF   AN   EARTHQUAKY   CITY      267 

"  Clear  away  the  second  cutter,  Mr.  Gaskette ! " 
shouted  the  commander  as  soon  as  he  had  rung  the 
gong  to  stop  the  screw,  and  the  ship  was  as  nearly  at 
rest  as  she  could  be  on  the  billows. 

"  All  the  second  cutters,  on  deck ! "  shouted  Biggs, 
the  boatswain,  after  he  had  piped  his  whistle,  at  the 
order  of  the  second  officer. 

The  boat  was  swung  out  in  as  much  haste  as 
though  the  cry  had  been  "  Man  overboard ! "  and 
her  crew  took  their  places  in  good  order.  The  cutter 
was  lowered  into  the  water,  and  the  men  gave  way 
on  a  favoring  wave  and  went  clear  of  the  ship.  They 
pulled  with  all  their  might;  and  Lanark,  the  cock- 
swain, steered  her  for  the  siamang. 

"  Stand  by,  bowmen,  to  haul  in  the  lady  ! "  called 
Mr.  Gaskette,  as  the  cutter  approached  the  unhappy 
animal.  "  In  bows  ! "  and  the  two  bowmen  tossed 
their  oars,  and  brought  them  down  in  place,  the  men 
springing  into  the  fore-sheets  to  seize  hold  of  the 
creature.  "  Way  enough  !  " 

It  looked  t«  those  who  were  anxiously  watching 
the  operations  of  the  men,  fearful  that  Miss  Mingo 
would  become  an  orphan,  as  though  the  boat  would 
strike  Mrs.  Mingo,  and  kill  her  by  the  collision. 

"  Stern  all ! "  cried  Mr.  Gaskette  with  energy. 

The  order  was  obeyed,  and  the  cutter  came  to 
a  stop  when  near  the  animal.  The  bowmen  were 
reaching  to  get  hold  of  her,  when  she  made  a  vigor- 
ous leap  into  the  fore-sheets,  grasping  the  rail  as 
she  did  so.  She  shook  herself  with  all  her  might 


268  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

as  soon  as  she  was  in  the  boat,  and  a  cheer  went  up 
from  the  deck  of  the  ship.  The  lady  then  seated 
herself  on  the  little  platform  in  the  bow,  and  seemed 
to  be  as  happy  as  ever,  and  that  was  saying  a  great 
deal. 

"  Give  way !  "  said  Mr.  Gaskette,  laughing  at  the 
apparent  self-possession  of  Mrs.  Mingo  when  her 
troubles  were  over.  The  cutter  came  alongside  the 
ship  under  its  davits,  the  falls  were  hooked  on,  and 
the  boat  was  hoisted  up.  The  lady  was  the  first 
to  leap  from  her  place  to  the  rail  of  the  ship. 

The  passengers  applauded  as  she  moved  aft;  and 
she  replied  with  her  usual  cry,  and  ended  it  with  a 
squeak.  She  went  directly  to  the  promenade,  which 
she  mounted,  and  then  hastened  to  Mrs.  Belgrave's 
chair.  She  looked  at  her  baby  as  though  it  had 
been  overboard.  Miss  Mingo's  keeper  had  taken 
care  that  the  infant  should  not  see  her  mother  in  the 
water;  and  the  little  one  could  not  have  told  what 
was  the  matter  if  any  one  had  asked  her,  first  be- 
cause she  did  not  know,  and  second  for  an  obvious 
reason. 

The  ship  was  going  ahead  again,  and  the  captain 
came  to  the  promenade.  He  took  the  lady  into  the 
sun,  and  persuaded  her  to  lie  down  and  dry  herself. 
She  seemed  to  understand  the  matter,  and  stretched 
herself  out. 

"  What  made  her  fall  overboard,  Captain  ?  "  asked 
the  lady  —  meaning  Mrs.  Belgrave  this  time,  and  not 
the  siamang. 


SHK  MADI-:  A  VH;OI:<>I  s  LKAP  INTO  TIIK  i  OKE-SHKKTS. 

Paye  267. 


DESCRIPTION   OF   AN  EARTHQUAKY  CITY      269 

"The  fore  topgallant  halliard  was  not  made  fast 
to  the  cleat,  and  when  it  ran  out,  it  jerked  her  from 
it,"  replied  the  commander.  "  It  ought  not  to  have 
been  loose,  and  there  is  a  bit  of  discipline  for  some 
jack-tar." 

The  ship  went  along  as  before ;  and  when  the  pas- 
sengers turned  out  the  next  morning  Manila  was  in 
sight,  and  not  five  miles  distant. 


270  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 


CHAPTEK   XXIX 

GOING    ON    SHORE    IN    MANILA 

THE  ship  had  slowed  down  in  the  afternoon,  and 
reached  the  entrance  of  Manila  Bay  about  eight  bells, 
or  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  At  the  Boca  Grande 
she  had  taken  a  pilot ;  but  she  still  had  twenty-five 
miles  to  run.  She  had  come  in  by  the  larger  of  the 
two  passages,  formed  by  a  group  of  islands,  both  of 
which  are  called  "  mouths  "  (bocas)  ;  and  the  smaller 
of  them  is  the  Boca  Chica.  The  Blanche  had  followed 
the  example  of  the  Guardian-Mother  in  slowing 
down,  and  had  taken  a  pilot  at  about  the  same  time. 

The  passengers  had  asked  the  steward  on  watch  in 
the  cabin  to  call  them  at  half -past  five,  and  they  were 
all  on  deck  as  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  for  them 
to  see  the  shore  clearly.  But  the  bay  is  so  large  that 
they  could  make  out  the  shores  only  ahead  of  the 
ship.  They  could  see  the  mountains  in  the  distance, 
with  a  lower  stretch  of  land  between  them  and  the 
low  ground  of  the  shore.  All  that  they  could  observe 
was  tropical  verdure,  with  lofty  palms  on  every  hand. 
The  low  ground,  covered  with  water  in  the  rainy  sea- 
son, was  planted  with  rice-fields. 

The  ladies  declared  that  the  view  was  lovely ;  and 
certainly  it  presented  variety  enough,  with  the  high 


GOING   ON   SHOKE  IN  MANILA  271 

lands  in  the  background,  and  the  rich  and  luxuriant 
growth  near  the  bay.  The  pilot  was  a  Spaniard  who 
could  speak  a  little  English ;  and  the  commander 
ordered  him  to  bring  the  ship  to  anchor  at  a  safe 
place,  as  near  as  convenient  off  the  end  of  the  two 
piers  at  the  mouth  of  Pasig.  The  Blanche  took  a 
position  abreast  of  her,  off  the  fort,  while  the  first 
was  off  the  lighthouse. 

The  health-officer  came  on  board,  and  by  this  time 
it  was  after  sunrise.  He  was  blandly  received  by 
the  commander,  as  every  official  or  visitor  was,  and 
the  conversation  was  carried  on  in  English.  All  the 
ship's  company  and  the  passengers  were  mustered  on 
the  upper  deck.  The  papers,  including  lists  of  all 
the  persons  on  board,  were  examined,  and  compared 
with  the  number  presented,  which  made  it  clear 
that  no  one  was  sick  in  his  stateroom  or  in  the  fore- 
castle. 

The  custom-house  officers  were  not  far  behind,  and 
the  character  of  the  steamer  was  explained.  There 
was  no  manifest,  for  there  was  no  cargo  to  be  in- 
voiced. The  principal  officer  was  very  minute  in  his 
inquiry,  and  not  particularly  courteous.  He  was 
evidently  impressed  by  his  authority ;  and  the  cap- 
tain did  not  invite  him  to  breakfast,  as  he  would  have 
done  if  he  had  been  somewhat  less  conscious  of  the 
magnitude  of  his  office. 

The  duties  on  merchandise  brought  into  the  islands 
were  formerly  discriminating  in  favor  of  Spanish  ves- 
sels, which  caused  other  merchantmen  to  avoid  the 


272  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

port  to  its  commercial  injury  ;  but  about  twenty  years 
before  a  uniform  tariff  was  established,  without  re- 
gard to  the  flag  under  which  the  ship  sailed,  and  all 
export  duties  were  abolished.  The  official  went  over 
the  ship,  and  the  arrangement  of  her  accommodations 
ought  to  have  been  enough  to  convince  the  man  that 
the  vessel  was  a  pleasure  yacht.  The  self-sufficient 
officer  retreated  in  good  order  when  he  had  completed 
his  examination,  leaving  a  subordinate  on  board  to 
see  that  no  merchandise  was  landed.  The  latter  was 
a  gentlemanly  person,  spoke  English,  and  was  dis- 
posed to  make  himself  agreeable.  He  was  invited  to 
breakfast  in  the  cabin. 

The  passengers  had  seated  themselves  on  the  prom- 
enade during  the  official  examination,  observing  all 
the  proceedings,  and  watching  the  boats  in  sight, 
some  of  which  were  different  from  anything  they  had 
seen  before.  They  were  near  enough  to  the  piers  to 
see  some  distance  up  the  river.  Of  course  the 
Blanche  was  subjected  to  the  same  examination ;  but 
a  different  set  of  officials  had  boarded  her,  and  com- 
pleted their  work  in  a  much  shorter  time.  It  could 
be  seen  that  her  crew  were  putting  the  steam-launch 
into  the  water. 

"  The  Blanchita  will  be  exceedingly  serviceable 
here,"  said  the  commander,  who  had  taken  a  stand 
near  the  steps  of  the  promenade.  "We  can  go  on 
shore,  and  land  anywhere  we  please;  for  there  are 
quays  all  along  the  river." 

"Boat  coming  down  the  river  with  the  American 


GOING   ON   SHORE  IN   MANILA  273 

flag  at  the  stern,  Captain  Kinggold,"  said  Mr.  Scott, 
saluting  the  commander. 

"  Our  consul  probably,"  added  the  captain. 
"  Would  you  like  to  go  to  a  hotel  in  Manila,  ladies  ?  " 
asked  he. 

No  one  answered  the  question,  but  three  of  them 
glanced  at  Mrs.  Belgrave,  as  though  they  expected 
her  to  reply ;  but  she  made  no  sign. 

"  You  don't  answer,  ladies,"  added  the  captain. 

"  We  are  waiting  for  Mrs.  Belgrave  to  speak," 
said  Mrs.  Woolridge. 

"  I  beg  you  will  excuse  me,"  said  that  lady,  laugh- 
ing. "I  do  not  know  why  I  am  expected  to  voice 
the  sentiments  of  the  party ." 

"Because,  like  the  wife  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States  at  home,  you  are  the  first  lady  on 
board,"  returned  the  wife  of  the  magnate  of  the 
Fifth  Avenue.  "  Your  son  is  the  owner  of  the 
Guardian-Mother,  and  you  are  the  mother  for  whom 
the  ship  is  named." 

"I  most  respectfully  decline  to  be  so  regarded; 
and  if  I  have  ever  put  on  any  airs,  I  will  repent 
and  reform,"  replied  Mrs.  Belgrave,  laughing  all  the 
while. 

"  You  have  never  put  on  airs,  or  assumed  anything 
at  all,"  protested  Mrs.  Woolridge. 

"I  consider  my  son  a  very  good  boy,  and  an  ear- 
nest advocate  of  fair  play  with  others,"  continued 
the  "first  lady"  more  seriously;  and  all  the  party 
heartily  approved  the  remark.  "Louis  found  that 


274  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

the  other  members  of  the  '  Big  Four '  were  disposed 
to  rely  upon  him,  and  wished  to  do  as  he  desired. 
On  the  Borneo  question  he  took  a  secret  ballot,  and 
would  not  express  his  own  opinion  till  the  vote  was 
declared,  though  he  voted  himself.  Every  one  voted 
for  himself,  and  could  not  have  been  influenced  by 
his  desire.  I  propose  to  follow  my  son's  example. 
I  wish  the  commander  to  be  guided  by  the  views  of 
all  rather  than  mine." 

All  the  passengers,  gentlemen  included,  applauded 
her  unselfish  stand.  The  lady  tore  off  a  blank  leaf 
from  a  letter  she  took  from  her  pocket,  and  made  it 
into  twelve  pieces,  which  she  proceeded  to  distribute 
among  the  passengers. 

"  I  think  the  gentlemen  are  just  as  much  interested 
in  the  question  as  the  ladies;  and  I  invite  them  to 
vote,  Mr.  Scott  included.  The  question  is,  Shall  we 
go  to  a  hotel  in  Manila,  or  live  on  board  of  the  ship," 
said  the  lady. .  "  You  will  vote  yes  or  no ;  yes  for 
the  hotel,  and  no  for  the  ship." 

"Perhaps  I  ought  to  inform  you  before  you  vote 
that  there  are  at  least  three  hotels  in  Manila,  —  the 
Catalana,  the  Universe,  and  the  Madrid.  Of  the 
merits  of  each  I  cannot  speak ;  but  we  can  obtain 
correct  information  before  we  go  to  any  one  of  them, 
and  probably  there  are  more  than  I  have  mentioned," 
interposed  the  commander,  very  much  amused  at  the 
proceedings. 

"Please  to  separate  now;  and  I  put  you  on  your 
honor  to  be  secret,  and  not  consult  any  person  in 


GOING   ON   SHORE   IN   MANILA  275 

regard  to  your  vote,"  Mrs.  Belgrave  added.  "I  ap- 
point Mr.  Gaskette  to  collect,  sort,  and  count  the  bal- 
lots. After  voting,  please  return  to  the  promenade." 

The  passengers  went  individually  to  various  cor- 
ners, and  wrote  their  votes.  The  second  officer 
collected  them  in  his  cap,  and  then  went  into  the 
pilot-house  to  make  out  his  return.  It  required  but 
three  minutes  to  do  this,  as  there  was  no  scattering 
votes ;  and  he  returned  to  the  promenade. 

"  Whole  number  of  votes,  12 ;  necessary  to  a  choice, 
7 ;  Yes,  2,  No,  10,  and  the  No's  have  carried  it,"  read 
Mr.  Gaskette,  handing  the  paper  to  Mrs.  Belgrave, 
and  retiring  with  a  graceful  bow. 

"  Yes  means  hotel,  and  no  means  ship,"  said  the 
lady.  "Mr.  Commander,  the  party  have  voted  to 
live  on  board  of  the  ship.  I  am  willing  to  acknowl- 
edge that  I  cast  one  of  the  two  yes  ballots.  But  I 
am  infinitely  better  satisfied  than  J  ^hould  have  been 
if  I  had  influenced  you  the  other  way.  I  hope  you 
all  consider  that  the  thing  has  been  fairly  done." 

"Boat  coming  alongside,  sir,"  reported  Mr.  Scott 
to  the  captain.  "  Another  boat  near,  flying  the 
English  flag,  headed  for  the  Blanche." 

Captain  Ringgold  hastened  to  the  gangway  to  re- 
ceive the  occupant  of  the  boat,  whoever  he  might 
prove  to  be.  One  of  the  men  on  the  platform 
brought  him  a  card,  on  which  he  found  the  name 
of  the  American  consul,  who  mounted  at  once  to  the 
deck  just  as  the  gong  sounded  for  breakfast. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Webb,  and  to 


276  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

welcome  you  to  my  ship,  which  is  the  steam-yacht 
Guardian-Mother,  on  a  voyage  around  the  world," 
said  the  captain,  as  he  grasped  the  hand  of  the  offi- 
cial. "  Captain  Ringgold,  at  your  service." 

"I  am  very  happy  to  meet  you,  Captain,  for  I 
have  heard  of  you ;  and  I  tender  my  services  for  any 
assistance  I  may  be  able  to  render  to  you  and  your 
party,"  replied  the  consul. 

"  Now  I  will  introduce  you  to  the  ladies  and  gentle- 
men on  board,  and  you  will  do  us  the  honor  to  break- 
fast with  us,"  added  the  commander,  as  he  took  the 
arm  of  his  guest,  and  conducted  him  to  the  prome- 
nade, where  he  was  duly  presented  to  all  the  passen- 
gers individually. 

Louis  Belgrave  was  presented  as  the  owner  of  the 
steamer,  for  the  captain  never  omitted  to  give  him 
a  prominent  position.  The  breakfast  was  the  usual 
one ;  but  it  was  always  very  nice,  and  Mr.  Sage  had 
hailed  a  boat,  and  obtained  some  very  fine  fish  for 
the  meal.  Mr.  Webb  was  placed  on  the  right  of  the 
commander,  Louis's  usual  place;  but  he  was  glad 
enough  always  to  get  the  seat  next  to  Miss  Blanche. 
The  consul  was  next  to  Mrs.  Belgrave ;  and  he  found 
her  very  agreeable,  as  she  never  failed  to  be. 

"Now,  what  are  we  going  to  do  here,  Mr.  Com- 
mander ?  "  asked  the  "  first  lady,"  as  some  had  actu- 
ally begun  to  call  her  already. 

"We  are  going  to  see  the  city,  of  course,"  he 
replied. 

"I  feel  for  one  as  though  we  had  already  seen 


GOING   ON   SMOKE  IN  MANILA  277 

it,  and  I  can  see  it  all  in  my  mind's  eye  now,"  added 
the  lady.  "You  and  the  professor  have  given  us 
such  a  minute  account  of  the  place  and  its  surround- 
ings that  it  seems  to  me  that  I  have  taken  it  all  in.77 

"  I  think  most  of  us  have,"  said  Mrs.  Woolridge  j 
and  several  of  the  company  expressed  themselves 
to  the  same  effect. 

"  We  have  several  books  in  the  library  about  the 
city  and  the  islands,  and  some  of  us  have  read  them 
all,"  suggested  Louis. 

"  What  books  have  you  on  board,  Mr.  Belgrave  ?  " 
asked  the  consul. 

"  We  have  <  Twenty  Years  in  the  Philippines '  by 
Monsieur  de  la  Gironiere,  which  some  say  was  writ- 
ten by  Alexandre  Dumas,  but  I  don't  know  about 
that  j  '  Travels  in  the  Philippines,'  by  F.  Jagor,  with 
an  epitome  of  the  work  in  Harper's  Magazine; 
and  we  have  Chambers's  Encyclopaedia,  Lippincott's 
Gazetteer  of  the  present  year,  and  some  other 
works." 

"  You  seem  to  be  well  provided  with  information, 
and  with  the  best  extant,  unless  you  consult  the 
archives  of  Spain  at  Madrid,"  returned  the  consul. 

"The  Blanchita  is  coming  alongside,  Captain," 
said  Mr.  Scott,  to  whom  a  message  to  this  effect 
had  been  sent  down  by  the  officer  of  the  deck. 

The  breakfast  was  nearly  finished  when  the  word 
came ;  and  the  party  soon  went  on  deck,  where  they 
found  all  the  passengers  of  the  Blanche  and  the 
British  consul.  The  usual  hugging  and  kissing  on 


278  FOUR  YOUNG   EXPLOKEKS 

the  part  of  the  ladies  and  hand-shaking  by  the 
gentlemen  followed,  and  the  two  consuls  were  duly 
presented  to  all. 

"  It  is  time  for  us  to  go  on  shore,"  said  General 
Noury,  looking  at  his  watch.  "  The  Blanchita  is 
at  the  gangway,  and  I  have  engaged  a  pilot  for 
her.  Of  course  you  are  all  invited  to  go  on  shore 
in  her." 

The  two  consuls  volunteered  to  act  as  guides ;  and 
the  company  took  their  places  in  the  launch,  which 
was  large  enough  to  accommodate  double  the  number. 
The  pilot  took  her  into  the  river  j  and  if  the  ears  of 
the  tourists  had  been  filled  full  of  Manila,  there  was 
plenty  for  the  eyes  to  take  in,  and  it  was  not  five 
minutes  after  they  passed  the  lighthouse  before  most 
of  the  passengers  were  laughing  at  some  of  the  queer 
costumes  worn  by  the  people. 

They  passed  a  craft  which  Mr.  Webb  called  a 
passage-boat.  It  was  a  sort  of  canoe,  manned  by 
three  men,  two  of  them  rowing,  and  one  working 
a  paddle  to  steer  her.  Over  the  after  part  was  an 
awning,  made  of  the  big  leaves  of  the  nipa  palm ; 
and  under  it  were  two  men  and  two  women,  bound 
up  the  river.  But  a  freight-boat  interested  the  young 
men  most.  The  hull  of  it  looked  more  like  a  canal- 
boat  than  any  other  craft  they  could  think  of.  The 
planking  of  the  sides  extended  a  little  higher  up 
forward  and  aft  than  amidships;  and  the  whole 
was  covered  with  an  arched  roof  woven  on  hoops, 
like  those  of  a  baggage-wagon,  with  palm  leaves. 


GOING  ON   SHORE   IN   MANILA  279 

The  portion  at  the  bow  and  stern  could  be  removed, 
as  the  whole  could.  The  man  at  the  helm  was  under 
the  stern  section  of  the  cover,  and  it  was  lifted  about 
a  foot  to  enable  him  to  look  ahead. 

A  wide  plank  was  secured  on  iron  brackets 
fastened  to  each  side  of  the  craft,  on  which  were 
two  men  poling  the  boat  up  the  stream.  It  was 
so  far  like  the  mud-scows  formerly  in  use  on  some  of 
the  waters  of  New  England,  except  that  the  men  who 
worked  her  with  poles  walked  on  the  gunwale  of  the 
scow.  The  boys  watched  it  till  it  passed  out  of  view 
astern.  The  Blanchita  made  a  landing  near  the 
bridge,  on  the  Binondo  side ;  and  all  the  passengers 
went  on  shore. 


280  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER     XXX. 

EXCURSIONS  ON  SHORE  AND  UP  THE  PASIG 

THE  Pasig  flowed  from  east  to  west  in  the  city; 
and  landing  on  the  north  side  of  the  stream,  the 
tourists  soon  came  to  the  Escolto,  which  extended 
both  ways  parallel  to  the  river.  It  was  the  prin- 
cipal street  for  shoppers  and  promenaders,  and  was 
exactly  what  they  wished  to  find,  as  they  had  in- 
formed Mr.  Webb  and  Mr.  Gollan,  the  two  consuls 
who  had  brought  them  there. 

The  avenue  was  filled  at  this  hour  with  a  motley 
variety  of  people  of  all  the  races  known  in  the 
islands,  from  the  Tagal  Indian  up  to  the  native- 
born  of  Spain.  Some  of  them  were  disposed  to 
laugh  at  the  strangeness,  not  to  say  the  absurdity, 
of  some  of  the  costumes  which  confronted  them; 
but  all  of  them  were  too  well  bred  to  indulge  their 
mirth,  or  to  stare  offensively  at  the  subjects  of 
their  suppressed  merriment.  One  young  man  ex- 
cited their  attention  especially;  and  Louis  at  the 
side  of  Miss  Blanche,  and  the  rest  of  the  quartet 
of  youDg  Americans,  were  also  interested. 

"He  is  one  of  the  swells  of  the  city,"  said  Scott, 
looking  industriously  at  the  clear  blue  sky. 

"He  looks  like  it,"  replied  Louis,  as  he  and  his 


EXCURSIONS  ON  SHORE  AND  UP  THE  PASIG     281 

female  companion  each  gazed  with  one  eye  into  a  shop 
window  while  they  fixed  the  other  upon  the  native, 
who  was  sporting  a  cane  .  in  fantastic  twirls,  and 
evidently  believing  he  was  worth  looking  at. 

The  subject  of  their  mirth,  variously  concealed, 
was  what  would  be  called  a  colored  man  at  home, 
though  not  a  negro ;  but  he  was  not  many  removes 
in  complexion  from  the  original  Negrito.  He  was 
toying  with  a  cigar,  and  wore  a  monocule  and  a 
"  stovepipe  "  hat.  His  trousers  were  a  sort  of  plaid ; 
and  his  upper  works  were  covered  with  what  looked 
like  a  blouse,  though  it  was  really  his  shirt,  with  a 
linen  bosom,  secured  with  studs.  At  the  base  of 
his  figure  was  a  pair  of  patent-leather  shoes,  though 
he  did  not  affect  the  luxury  of  stockings. 

The  party  observed  his  magnificent  movements 
till  he  was  out  of  sight ;  but  their  attention  was 
immediately  attracted  by  a  feminine  water-carrier, 
who  was  standing  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street. 
On  her  head  was  a  good-sized  earthen  jar,  which 
she  poised  on  the  summit  of  her  cranium  with- 
out support  from  either  hand,  one  of  which  she 
employed  in  coquetting  with  a  banana  leaf  instead 
of  the  national  abanico,  or  fan,  of  the  Spanish 
ladies. 

"  That  girl  has  a  very  fine  form,"  said  Dr.  Hawkes, 
who  was  standing  near  the  boys.  "She  is  not  a 
Spanish  maiden,  but  her  complexion  is  quite  as  fair 
as  any  of  them." 

"  She   has   an   abundant   crop   of  dark   hair,  and 


282  FOUR    YOUNG   EXPLOKERS 

she  puts  it  to  a  good  use;  for  it  is  braided  and 
rolled  up  so  that  it  makes  a  cushion  for  the  water- 
jar,"  said  Scott. 

"  She  is  much  taller  than  the  natives  we  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  seeing/7  added  Louis. 

By  this  time  the  entire  party  had  halted,  and, 
taking  their  cue  from  the  surgeon,  were  looking  at 
the  water-bearer.  The  girl  had  been  observing  the 
strangers  before  any  of  them  saw  her;  but  as  soon 
as  she  realized  that  she  was  the  object  of  their 
scrutiny,  she  smiled,  and  her  pretty  face  lighted 
up  as  though  she  did  not  object  to  being  stared  at. 
Her  under  garment,  with  long  sleeves,  was  all  the 
covering  she  wore  above  the  belt ;  and  below  it  her 
skirt  of  uneven  length  reached  just  below  the  knees. 
She  wore  neither  shoes  nor  stockings,  and  her  feet 
looked  as  though  they  had  been  "  Trilbied." 

"  I  suppose  that  man  over  there  is  carrying 
that  rooster  to  market,"  said  Mrs.  Belgrave,  who 
was  walking  between  the  commander  and  Mr. 
Webb. 

"Not  at  all,  madam;  that  is  a  game-bird.  The 
national  amusements  of  Spain  are  bull-fighting  and 
cock-fighting,"  returned  Mr.  Webb.  "  I  was  in 
Madrid  one  Sunday,  and  the  programme  for  the 
day  was  a  cock-fight  at  one,  a  bull-fight  at  three, 
and  the  Italian  opera  at  six ;  and  I  went  to  all  of 
them." 

"On  Sunday?"  queried  the  lady. 

"I   was  there   to   see   the   sights,   and  learn  the 


EXCURSIONS  ON  SHORE  AND  UP  THE  PASIG     283 

customs  of  the  people;  and  a  bull-fight  could  be  seen 
only  on  Sunday,  and  the  cock-fight  was  patronized 
on  that  day  by  the  high  admiral  of  the  navy.  In 
Madrid,  as  in  other  cities  of  Continental  Europe, 
Sunday  is  not  regarded  as  it  is  in  England  and  the 
United  States  ;  and  their  failure  to  observe  it  as  we 
do  is  not  an  evidence  that  they  are  irreligious.  The 
next  day  was  All  Saints'  or  All  Souls'  Day,  I  forget 
which;  and  every  shop  was  closed.  The  noise  and 
confusion  of  Sunday  and  all  ordinary  days  were 
silenced.  The  churches  were  all  open  and  well 
filled,  and  the  people  went  to  the  cemeteries  to  de- 
posit flowers  on  the  graves  of  their  dead.  In  Stock- 
holm, which  is  a  Protestant  city,  people  went  to 
church  in  the  forenoon ;  but  at  one  o'clock  the  band 
struck  up,  and  the  rest  of  the  day  was  given  up 
to  frolicking." 

"  I  prefer  to  live  in  Von  Blonk  Park,"  added  Mrs. 
Belgrave,  with  a  smile. 

"  But  cock-fighting  is  vastly  more  prevalent  here 
than  in  Spain^  or  any  other  country  I  have  visited. 
Wealthy  people  have  their  games,  and  all  the  poor 
people  also,"  continued  the  consul.  "  About  every 
man  who  can  raise  money  enough  to  buy  one  owns 
a  game-cock,  and  many  take  them  with  them  when 
they  go  out. 

"  Observe  that  man  and  woman  approaching  us ; 
they  are  Spanish  metis.  Both  of  them  wear  rather 
gay  colors.  On  the  other  side  of  the  street  is  a  pair 
of  Chinese  metis  ;  and  one  couple  is  not  much  differ- 


284  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

ent  from  the  other,  except,  if  you  are  an  expert,  you 
can  see  something  of  the  high  cheek-bones  of  the 
Chinese.  Both  of  the  men  wear  stovepipe  hats, 
which  seems  to  be  the  fashion  among  that  class. 
Some  of  them  are  quite  wealthy." 

"Do  all  these  different  grades  fraternize,  Mr. 
Webb  ?  "  asked  the  commander. 

"  In  business  they  do,  but  not  socially.  The  pure 
Spaniards  look  down  upon  all  the  native  and  half- 
caste  people ;  and  in  turn  all  the  other  classes  do  con- 
siderable looking  down  upon  some  other  grades,  till 
you  get  to  the  Tagals,  who  are  so  unfortunate  as 
to  have  no  other  class  to  look  down  upon." 

The  tourists  walked  along  this  Broadway  of  the 
city  till  they  were  tired,  and  then  turned  into  a  side 
street  to  observe  some  of  the  dwelling-houses.  The 
first  thing  that  they  noticed  was  that  most  of  the 
houses  were  covered  on  the  roof  with  red  tiles,  as  in 
Spain  and  in  other  countries.  They  all  had  very 
small  windows,  with  sliding  sashes ;  and  the  panes,  of 
oyster-shells  instead  of  glass,  were  smaller  in  propor- 
tion than  the  windows.  Most  of  them  had  a  balcony 
of  some  sort,  which  was  an  out-door  sitting-room, 
used  during  leisure  hours  by  the  people. 

The  consuls  then  conducted  the  party  to  a  stand 
for  carriages,  and  enough  of  them  were  engaged  to 
accommodate  all.  They  were  taken  for  two  hours, 
with  the  proviso  that  the  passengers  were  to  be  set 
down  at  the  landing  by  the  bridge. 

"  You  must   pay   in  advance,"    said   Mr.   Webb. 


EXCURSIONS  ON  SHORE  AND  UP  THE  PASIG    285 

"  That  is  the  custom  here.  The  drivers  were  cheated 
so  often  in  some  former  time,  that  it  became  '  no  pay, 
no  ride.'  I  bargained  at  five  pesetas  an  hour  for  each 
vehicle." 

The  captain,  Mrs.  Belgrave,  and  Mr.  Webb  occu- 
pied the  first  carriage;  and  the  consul  directed  the 
driver  where  to  go. 

"  Five  pesetas,"  said  the  lady  when  they  were 
seated.  "  How  much  is  that  ?  " 

"  About  one  dollar.  A  peseta  is  the  legal  unit  of 
the  currency,  and  is  of  the  same  value  as  the  French 
franc  and  the  Italian  lira,  or  nineteen  cents,  three 
mills  of  our  money,  as  estimated  by  the  director  of 
the  United  States  Mint.  The  real  is  a  quarter  of  a 
peseta,  but  the  escudo  of  ten  reales  has  been  sup- 
pressed. The  Spanish  dollar,  the  same  as  ours, 
though  not  on  a  gold  standard,  is  the  usual  medium 
of  trade  here." 

The  tourists  were  driven  to  the  cathedral,  the 
palaces  of  the  governor  and  the  archbishop,  and  to 
several  of  the  public  squares ;  but  they  found  little 
occasion  to  describe  them  in  their  note-books,  though 
they  were  all  worth  looking  at.  They  were  taken 
through  some  of  the  streets  occupied  by  the  poorer 
classes  and  to  the  great  cigar  factories.  Then  they 
went  a  little  way  into  one  of  these,  where  thousands 
of  women  of  all  the  lower  grades  of  the  city  were 
employed,  so  that  they  obtained  a  good  idea  of  the 
establishment. 

They  were  taken  to  the  landing-place  as  agreed, 


286  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

and  embarked  immediately  in  the  Blanchita  for  the 
ship,  where  all  were  to  lunch,  feeling  that  they 
had  seen  all  of  the  city  that  they  wished  to  visit. 
The  consuls  went  with  them,  but  all  were  tired 
enough  to  rest  during  the  hour  given  them  for  the 
luncheon.  At  the  expiration  of  the  hour,  the  com- 
mander remorselessly  drove  them  on  board  of  the 
steam-yacht  for  an  excursion  up  the  Pasig  to  Lago  de 
Bahia,  which  is  Spanish  for  Lake  of  the  Bay. 

Some  of  the  party  were  tired ;  but  the  captain 
declared  that  they  could  rest  in  the  little  steamer, 
and  remain  seated  all  the  afternoon  if  they  chose. 
A  skilful  pilot  for  the  river  and  lake  had  been  ob- 
tained by  Mr.  Gollan,  who  devoted  himself  especially 
to  the  pacha  and  the  princess,  for  they  were  the 
passengers  of  the  English  steamer,  though  he 
was  very  kind  and  polite  to  all  the  company. 
Above  the  bridge  the  passengers  began  to  open 
their  eyes,  for  they  had  explored  the  river  below 
this  point. 

The  captain  and  Mrs.  Belgrave  (of  course),  with 
Miss  Blanche,  Mr.  Webb,  and  the  "  Big  Four,"  were 
all  in  what  had  been  called  the  fore  cabin  in  the 
Borneo  cruises.  It  was  as  handsomely  and  comfor- 
tably fitted  up  as  the  after  cabin,  with  an  awning 
overhead,  and  curtains  at  the  side,  which  were  regu- 
lated by  the  relative  positions  of  the  boat  to  the  sun. 
Two  of  the  English  sailors,  dressed  in  their  white 
uniforms,  were  on  board  to  adjust  these  curtains,  and 
do  any  other  work  required  of  them. 


EXCURSIONS  ON  SHORE  AND  UP  THE  PASIG  287 

"  There's  a  dead  man  on  a  raft ! "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Belgrave,  pointing  ahead. 

"  The  man  is  not  so  dead  as  he  might  be,"  replied 
the  consul,  laughing.  "But  the  raft  is  something 
worth  looking  at  for  you.  The  affair  is  simply  a 
native  going  to  market  with  his  cocoanuts.  Ask  the 
engineer  to  whistle  sharply,"  he  added  to  one  of  the 
sailors ;  and  it  was  done. 

Suddenly  the  man  on  the  raft  sprang  to  his  feet, 
and  looked  around  him.  The  launch  was  stopped 
to  enable  the  party  to  see  his  craft. 

"You  can  see  that  his  boat  is  a  lot  of  cocoanuts, 
a  hundred  or  more,  strung  together  with  lines.  The 
raft  easily  floats  the  man,  with  the  current,  down 
to  the  city,  where  he  sells  his  fruit,  and  then  walks 
back,  or  rows  in  a  passage-boat  for  his  fare,"  Mr. 
Webb  explained  forward,  and  Mr.  Gollan  aft. 

Presently  they  came  to  a  little  village  where  half 
a  dozen  dark-colored  girls,  with  their  long  hair  drag- 
ging in  the  water,  were  swimming  in  a  small  bay 
at  the  side  of  the  stream  like  so  many  nymphs.  It 
was  an  aquatic  frolic,  and  the  Naiads  were  enjoying 
themselves  to  their  hearts'  content.  By  the  river- 
side was  a  house  on  stilts,  with  an  open  door,  from 
which  the  tourists  saw  two  girls  dive  into  the  stream, 
and  swim  away  as  though  the  water  were  their  nat- 
ural element.  They  cut  up  all  sorts  of  capers,  to  the 
great  amusement  of  the  party ;  and  then  two  of  them 
swam  to  the  launch,  and  held  out  their  hands.  They 
received  a  couple  of  pesetas  each  from  the  captain 


288  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

and  the  pacha.  Then  all  the  rest  of  them  followed 
their  example,  and  were  rewarded  in  like  manner. 

The  Blanchita  resumed  her  course  up  the  river 
at  her  usual  speed ;  and  the  voyagers  found  enough  to 
interest  them,  and  enough  in  the  explanations  of  the 
consuls  to  instruct  them.  The  boat  rushed  by  the 
barges  and  passage-boats  as  though  they  were  at 
anchor.  The  villages  and  the  houses  reminded  them 
of  those  they  had  seen  on  the  Menam  in  the  vicinity 
of  Bangkok. 

"  Do  you  notice  the  horned  cattle  ? "  asked  Mr. 
Webb.  "They  call  them  buffaloes  here." 

"They  are  what  we  should  call  broad-horns  at 
home,"  replied  the  captain.  "  I  never  saw  any  such 
wide-spreading  and  long  horns  as  I  see  here." 

"I  am  told  that  you  have  a  quartet  of  Nimrods 
in  your  company ;  and  I  am  sure  they  would  find 
plenty  of  sport  in  the  country  beyond  the  lake,  where 
the  wild  buffalo  is  to  be  found  in  herds  as  on  our 
Western  prairies  formerly.  But  they  are  a  dangerous 
beast  to  hunt ;  for  they  will  fight  like  tigers,  and  not 
a  few  hunters  have  been  killed  by  them." 

"  We  should  like  to  try  them  ;  and  with  rifles  good 
for  nine  shots,  I  think  we  could  take  care  of  our- 
selves," replied  Louis. 

They  found  plenty  of  buffaloes  on  the  shores  of 
the  river,  but  they  were  as  tame  as  doves.  At  one 
place  on  the  bank  they  saw  a  naked  boy  of  ten  fool- 
ing with  one  of  them,  jumping  over  him,  and  being 
dragged  by  his  tail.  It  was  but  a  short  trip  to  the 


EXCURSIONS  ON  SHORE  AND  UP  THE  PASIG     289 

lake  for  the  Blanchita,  and  the  party  sailed  all 
around  it.  They  were  all  delighted  with  the  excur- 
sion ;  and  the  launch  was  hurried  down  the  river, 
and  reached  the  Blanche,  where  they  were  to  dine 
at  seven  o'clock. 


290  FOUR   YOUNG    EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

HALF    A    LECTURE    ON    CHINESE    SUBJECTS 

THE  dinner  on  board  of  the  Blanche  was  fully 
up  to  the  standard  of  the  epicureans  on  board  of 
both  steamers ;  for  the  cooks  of  both  had  been  busy 
all  day,  and  the  consuls  declared  that  it  was  fully 
equal  to  the  best  of  which  they  had  partaken  in 
London  or  Paris.  As  it  was  to  be  the  last  time 
the  tourists  were  to  meet  these  excellent  and  accom- 
plished officials,  the  occasion  was  a  very  jolly  affair. 
Speeches  were  made  by  both  of  them,  in  which  they 
were  lavish  in  praise  of  both  the  dinner  and  the 
elegant  accommodations  of  both  the  steamers. 

Captain  Einggold  replied,  returning  the  most 
hearty  thanks  to  both  of  the  official  gentlemen  for 
their  kindness  in  acting  as  the  guides  of  the  travel- 
lers, and  for  the  interesting  and  valuable  informa- 
tion they  had  given  them.  Both  of  them  had 
declared  that  the  company  ought  to  remain  in 
Manila  at  least  a  week ;  but  the  commander  pleaded 
the  long  voyage  still  before  the  ships,  and  re- 
peated what  he  had  so  often  said  before,  that,  in 
such  a  long  cruise  as  they  were  taking,  it  was  quite 
impossible  to  do  anything  more  than  obtain  a  speci- 
men of  each  country  or  island  they  visited. 


HALF  A   LECTURE  ON   CHINESE   SUBJECTS      291 

When  they  left  the  table  the  consuls  took  leave 
individually  of  each  of  the  passengers,  and  were 
sent  on  shore  in  the  barge  of  the  Blanche,  for  the 
steam-launch  had  already  been  taken  upon  the  deck 
of  the  ship.  During  the  day  both  steamers  had 
taken  in  a  supply  of  coal,  and  the  chief  stewards 
had  procured  stores  of  provisions,  ice,  and  especially 
fruit.  As  the  party  were  taking  leave  of  the  two 
agreeable  gentlemen,  they  heard  the  hissing  of  steam 
on  the  Blanche,  which  they  did  not  quite  under- 
stand, as  the  commander  or  Captain  Sharp  "had 
made  no  sign."  The  Guardian-Mother's  people  were 
taken  on  board,  after  another  leave-taking,  and  con- 
veyed to  their  ship  in  their  own  boats. 

"  What  is  going  on,  Captain  Kinggold  ? "  asked 
Mrs.  Belgrave,  when  she  heard  the  hissing  steam 
on  board  of  the  Guardian-Mother. 

"  Going  on  to  Hong-Kong,"  replied  the  com- 
mander. 

"  To-night  ?  " 

"  To-night.^ 

"  But  we  have  been  here  only  one  day,"  suggested 
the  "first  lady." 

"  The  anchor  is  hove  short ;  but  if  you  think  of 
anything  more  that  you  wish  to  see  in  Manila  or 
its  vicinity,  I  will  remain,"  added  the  captain. 

"I  don't  know  that  there  is  anything  more  to 
be  seen.  I  seemed  to  know  the  city  before  I  had 
seen  it." 

"Very  well,  then  we  will  go  to  sea  to-night." 


292  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

By  ten  o'clock  the  ships  were  under  way ;  and  in 
a  couple  of  hours  more  they  were  in  the  China 
Sea,  headed  north-west-by-north,  for  Hong-Kong. 
The  sea  was  as  smooth  as  glass,  for  the  east  mon- 
soon seemed  to  be  interrupted  under  the  lee  of  the 
islands.  The  passengers  retired  at  an  early  hour, 
and  there  was  no  excuse  for  not  going  to  sleep  at 
once. 

In  the  morning  the  ship  was  a  long  way  out  of 
sight  of  land.  Breakfast  had  been  ordered  for  an 
hour  later  than  usual,  in  order  to  let  the  party  sleep 
off  the  fatigue  of  the  day  before.  But  some  of 
them  were  on  deck  at  sunrise,  and  saw  the  beauti- 
ful phenomenon  of  that  orb  coming  out  of  the  eastern 
sea.  There  was  not  an  island  or  anything  else  in 
sight  but  the  broad  expanse  of  water.  The  air  was 
delightful ;  and  it  was  not  hot  in  the  early  morning, 
and  under  the  awnings  it  would  not  be  during  the 
day.  A  gentle  sea  gave  the  ship  a  little  motion, 
but  it  was  a  quiet  time. 

Breakfast  was  served  at  the  appointed  hour ;  and 
at  this  time  Mr.  Gaskette  was  busy  with  his  assis- 
tants, arranging  the  frame  for  a  new  map,  consider- 
ably larger  than  any  used  before,  at  the  head  of 
Conference  Hall.  He  had  been  at  work  upon  it 
for  several  days,  and  he  intended  that  it  should 
surpass  anything  he  had  done  before.  The  orang- 
outang, the  monkey,  and  the  pheasant  had  been 
removed  to  the  library,  where  there  was  plenty  of 
room  for  them. 


HALF   A  LECTURE  ON   CHINESE   SUBJECTS      293 

China  was  a  great  country,  and  the  professor 
thought  it  would  require  a  long  talk  to  dispose  of 
it;  and  the  conference  was  called  for  ten  o'clock, 
and  so  announced  at  breakfast  time.  When  the 
passengers  went  on  deck,  the  first  thing  that  at- 
tracted their  attention  was  the  new  map;  and  con- 
sidering that  it  was  made  on  board  of  the  ship,  it 
was  a  beautiful  piece  of  work,  for  the  second  officer 
was  an  artist.  At  the  appointed  hour  they  were 
all  in  their  seats. 

This  map,  though  correct  at  the  time  it  was 
made,  did  not,  of  course,  include  the  changes  which 
resulted  from  the  war  between  Japan  and  China, 
and  which  have  not  even  yet  been  incorporated  in 
modern  history.  The  pacha  had  been  invited  to 
give  the  lecture  on  China ;  but  he  declared  that  it 
was  too  difficult  a  subject  for  him  to  undertake, 
and  he  begged  to  be  excused,  and  Professor  Giroud 
had  willingly  undertaken  it.  It  had  required  all 
his  time  on  the  voyage  from  Saigon,  and  all  his 
spare  time  _at  Manila,  to  prepare  himself  for  the 
difficult  task.  With  the  three  siamangs  in  their 
usual  places,  he  mounted  the  platform. 

A  signal  from  the  Blanche  caused  him  to  resume  his 
seat,  and  the  screw  was  stopped.  The  barge  from 
the  consort  dropped  into  the  water;  and  the  gen- 
eral, his  wife,  the  rajah,  Mrs.  Sharp,  and  Dr.  Hen- 
derson came  on  board,  and  chairs  were  provided 
for  them.  Miss  Blanche  gave  up  the  baby  to  Mrs. 
Noury,  who  was  very  fond  of  the  little  creature. 


294  FOUli    YOUNG   EXPLOKEHS 

The  professor  then  took  his  place  again  on  the  ros- 
trum, with  the  pointer  in  his  hand. 

"  Mr.  Commander,  ladies  and  gentlemen/'  he 
began.  "  Before  I  say  a  word,  I  desire  to  acknowl- 
edge my  very  great  obligations  to  Mr.  Gaskette  for 
the  elegant  map  he  has  prepared  and  placed  before 
us.  You  observe  that  it  extends  from  the  Amur 
Eiver,  —  which  is  spelled  in  older  books  Amoor ;  but 
the  latest  fashion  is  to  make  it  Amur,  as  Hindu  and 
similar  words  have  been  changed  from  oo  to  u,  for 
both  have  the  same  sound  in  most  European  and 
Oriental  names,  —  from  the  Amur  River  to  Tonquin, 
about  thirty  degrees  of  latitude,  with  the  nineteen 
provinces  of  China,  with  Korea,  properly  spelled 
with  initial  K,  with  the  islands  of  Formosa  and 
Hainan.  It  has  given  the  artist  a  great  deal  of  labor, 
and  he  has  done  his  work  in  a  manner  to  call  for  your 
highest  commendation." 

The  audience  vigorously  applauded  this  statement ; 
and  the  siamangs  added  their  "  Ka !  Ka  !  Ea  !  "  with 
a  volley  of  squeaks.  Mr.  Gaskette  bowed  his  ac- 
knowledgments ;  and  the  professor  handed  him  the 
pointer,  which  looked  like  a  new  arrangement. 

"  The  artist  is  as  well  or  better  acquainted  with 
the  map  than  I  am,  and  I  have  invited  him  to  assist 
on  the  platform.  Manchuria,  and  I  adopt  the  most 
modern  spelling  of  the  name,"  continued  the  profes- 
sor, as  the  artist  pointed  to  the  province. 

"  I  thought  the  subject  for  to-day  was  China,"  in- 
terposed Mrs.  Belgrave. 


HALF    A    LECTU11E   ON    CHINESE   SUBJECTS      295 

'•'  So  it  is,  madam ;  but  the  modern  history  of  China 
begins  with  Manchuria.  On  the  west  of  it  is  Mon- 
golia, which  any  of  the  old-fashioned  gentlemen  may 
call  Chinese  Tartary  if  they  prefer,  though  that 
designation  is  not  in  use  now.  Manchuria  is  a  prov- 
ince of  China ;  though  the  latter  was  a  province  of 
the  former  three  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  for 
then  it  conquered  China,  whose  present  emperor  is 
the  descendant  of  the  conquering  Manchu  monarch. 
Manchuria  has  an  area  of  280,000,  and  a  population 
of  21,000,000 ;  but  not  more  than  one  million  of  the 
people  are  Manchus,  who  wear  the  costume  and 
speak  the  language  of  the  Chinese.  The  rest  of  the 
people  are  emigrants  from  China  or  other  countries, 
and  are  as  industrious  and  prosperous  as  any  other  in 
the  vast  empire. 

"  The  Manchus  are  the  aristocracy  of  the  country  ; 
and  ever  since  they  gave  China  its  ruler,  their 
country  lias  been  the  principal  territory  for  recruit- 
ing the  Celestial  armies;  and  there  are  said  to  be 
80,000  of  tjieir  soldiers  in  service.  And  they  also 
furnish  China  with  its  magistrates  and  police.  But 
I  will  leave  their  country  to  take  its  place  with  the 
other  provinces  of  the  empire.  China  is  believed 
by  its  own  chronologists  to  have  been  in  existence 
2637  years  before  the  Christian  era,  and  perhaps 
from  a  date  still  farther  back ;  but  these  dates  are 
doubtful. 

"The  people  of  China  do  not  know  their  country 
by  the  name  so  familiar  to  us,  or  they  know  it  only 


296  FOCTK   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

so  far  as  they  have  learned  it  from  merchants  and 
travellers.  In  the  matter  of  names  they  all  seem 
barbarous  to  us ;  I  do  not  attempt  to  pronounce 
them ;  and  I  don't  think  you  will  succeed  in  doing  so 
any  better  than  I  have.  I  may  add  that  I  have  never 
been  in  China ;  and  what  I  tell  you  I  did  not  pick  up 
myself,  but  must  derive  it  from  others  who  have 
travelled  and  lived  in  the  country. 

"I  have  obtained  nearly  all  my  information  from 
the  very  learned  and  valuable  article  of  Dr.  Legge, 
in  Chambers's.  He  is  familiar  with  the  language  of 
the  Chinese,  has  travelled  and  lived  in  the  country, 
and  is  fully  acquainted  with  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  the  people.  In  the  oldest  literature  of  the 
empire,  it  is  called  Hwd  Hsid,  the  first  word  meaning 
1  flowery/  and  the  second  is  the  proper  name  of  the 
country.  Chung  Kwo  is  the  Middle  Kingdom,  which 
came  into  being  in  the  feudal  period,  in  the  midst  of 
the  several  states  and  tribes;  and  if  you  wish  to 
know  more  of  China,  there  is  an  American  edition 
of  Dr.  Williams  in  four  volumes,  which  will  tell  you 
all  about  it.  But  the  name  did  not  mean  the  middle 
of  the  earth,  as  sometimes  claimed,  nor  is  it  the 
foundation  of  the  derisive  term  applied  to  China, 
<  The  Central  Flowery  Nation.' 

"Other  names  have  been  given  to  China,  though 
seldom  seen  or  heard;  but  Cathay,  perhaps  coming 
from  the  Russian  name  Kitai,  is  not  at  all  uncom- 
mon, especially  in  poetry.  The  name  we  use  comes 
to  us  from  India,  when  two  Buddhist  missionaries, 


HALF   A   LECTURE   ON   CHINESE   SUBJECTS      297 

who  came  from  '  the  land  of  Chin/  called  it  China 
and  Chintan. 

"As  stated  before,  the  native  Chinese  line  of  ru- 
lers, the  Ming  dynasty,  conquered  China  in  1644,  and 
placed  the  first  of  the  Tsing  monarchs  on  the  throne. 
I  will  not  tangle  up  your  intellects  by  following  out 
the  individuals  of  the  succession  any  farther  than  to 
say  that  the  present  emperor,  or  Hwangti,  of  China 
is  Tsait'ien,  who  was  proclaimed  as  such  in  January, 
1875.  The  ruler  may  name  his  successor,  for  the 
descent  is  not  hereditary  to  his  eldest  son;  and  if 
he  fails  to  do  so,  the  default  is  made  good  by  his 
family.  He  is  the  ninth  emperor  of  the  Manchu  or 
Tartar  dynasty. 

"As  I  said,  China  has  nineteen  provinces,  includ- 
ing the  island  of  Formosa,  all  of  which  are  repre- 
sented on  the  map  before  you.  The  divisions  of  the 
country  are  immensely  populous ;  though  the  average 
of  the  whole  to  the  square  mile  is  less  than  that  of 
Belgium  by  nearly  one-half,  several  of  whose  prov- 
inces are  more  densely  peopled  than  any  in  China. 
It  is  also  less  than  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  and 
but  a  little  above  that  of  Massachusetts,  —  the  two 
States  the  most  densely  inhabited  in  our  own  country. 

"  Many  say  that  the  population  of  China  has  been 
exaggerated ;  and  it  is  variously  given  at  from  282,- 
000,000  to  413,000,000,  a  very  great  difference,  and 
you  suit  yourselves  with  the  figures  if  you  can. 
Dr.  Legge  thinks  that  400,000,000  is  not  an  over- 
estimate. The  area  of  the  eighteen  provinces  is 


298  FOUK   YOUNG   EXPLOREKS 

1,336,841  square  miles,  to  which  about  15,000  may 
be  added  for  Formosa;  but  the  area  of  the  whole 
Chinese  empire  is  4,218,401,  while  that  of  the  United 
States,  including  Alaska,  is  3,501,409. 

"  If  you  look  at  the  map,  you  will  see  that  there 
are  numerous  chains  of  mountains  in  the  countries 
lying  west  of  China,  especially  in  Tibet,  while  China 
proper  has  but  few  of  them.  The  land  generally 
slopes  from  the  several  ranges  to  the  sea,  but  I 
will  not  perplex  you  with  the  names  of  them.  The 
rivers,  of  course,  flow  from  the  mountains,  and  you 
can  see  that  they  have  space  for  a  long  course. 
They  are  generally  called  ho  in  the  north,  and  chiang 
or  kiang  in  the  south.  The  Ho,  Hoang-ho,  or 
Yellow  River,  and  the  Chiang,  known  to  us  as  the 
Yang-tsze  Chiang,  must  be  over  three  thousand  miles 
long.  I  will  not  follow  them  from  source  to  mouth. 
Canton,  or  Choo-Chiang  River,  which  means  Pearl 
River,  is  also  a  very  large  stream.  All  these  water- 
ways, you  notice  on  the  map,  have  a  general  course 
from  west  to  east.  All  of  them  are  navigable,  though 
the  Hoang-ho  is  less  so  than  the  Yang-tsze  Chiang, 
the  'most  beloved'  of  the  Chinese;  for  its  counter- 
part in  the  north  is  a  turbid  stream,  so  tricky  that  it 
changed  its  course  in  1853  so  that  its  mouth  is  now 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  north  of  where 
it  was  before  that  date." 

Mr.  Gaskette  pointed  out  the  former  course,  which 
he  had  indicated  by  double  dotted  lines,  and  that 
of  the  present  course  to  the  Gulf  of  Pe-chi-li. 


HALF   A   LECTURE    ON    CHINESE    SUBJECTS      299 

"  Chinese  history  begins  twenty-four  hundred  years 
before  our  era,  when  the  first  human  kings  of  Egypt 
were  on  the  throne,  with  the  narrative  of  a  tremen- 
dous inundation,  which  some  have  identified  as  that 
of  the  Flood  in  the  Old  Testament.  But  the  floods 
did  not  cease  with  that  event,  for  several  others 
have  followed.  As  late  as  1887,  only  half  a  dozen 
years  ago,  the  treacherous  Hoang-ho  broke  loose,  and 
poured  its  waters  into  the  populous  province  of  Ho- 
nan,  tearing  everything  to  pieces  and  destroying  mil- 
lions of  lives.  There  have  been  so  many  of  these 
floods  that  they  have  given  the  great  river  the  name 
of  l  China's  Sorrow/  But  the  Manchu  rulers  are 
repairing  damages,  and  providing  against  such  dis- 
asters in  the  future. 

"  I  have  to  speak  next  about  the  Grand  Canal  and 
the  Great  Wall ;  but  I  will  defer  it  for  half  an  hour 
for  a  recess,  for  I  think  you  must  be  tired  of  the  dry 
details  I  have  been  giving  you,"  said  the  professor, 
as  he  stepped  down  from  the  rostrum. 

The  company  then  promenaded  the  deck  for  the 
time  indicated. 


300  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER   XXXII 

THE  CONTINUATION  OP  THE  LECTURE 

A  WALK  of  half  an  hour  had  freshened  up  the 
minds  and  bodies  of  the  passengers,  and  they  took 
their  places  on  the  promenade  for  the  continuation 
of  the  lecture.  The  professor  had  been  to  his  state- 
room, and  returned  with  additional  notes. 

"Dr.  Legge  quotes  Marco  Polo,  the  greatest  travel- 
ler of  the  Middle  Ages,  who  visited  China  in  the 
thirteenth  century,"  the  speaker  began,  taking  a 
paper  from  the  table,  and  reading  as  follows  in 
regard  to  the  Grand  Canal :  "  <  Kublai  caused  a  water 
communication  to  be  made  in  the  shape  of  a  wide 
and  deep  channel  dug  between  stream  and  stream, 
between  lake  and  lake,  forming  as  it  were  a  great 
river  on  which  large  vessels  can  ply.'  Kublai  was 
the  first  sovereign  of  one  of  the  old  dynasties. 

"  The  canal  extended  from  Peking,  the  capital, 
in  the  north,  to  the  south  of  the  empire,  a  distance 
of  six  hundred  miles ;  and  it  was  in  use  all  the  way 
in  former  times.  The  Chinese  were  not  distinguished 
as  navigators ;  but  in  modern  times  steamers  ply 
between  Canton  and  the  ports  of  the  Gulf  of  Pe- 
chi-li,  so  that  the  canal  is  less  necessary,  and  much 
of  it  is  in  bad  condition. 


THE  CONTINUATION   OF   THE  LECTURE      301 

"The  Great  Wall  is  better  known  to  all  the 
world  than  the  Grand  Canal  as  a  peculiarly  Chinese 
wonder,  and  every  school  boy  and  girl  has  heard  of 
it.  It  was  built  as  a  defence  against  the  raids  of 
the  northern  tribes,  though  for  this  purpose  it  was 
a  failure  ;  but  it  still  stands,  though  some  of  the 
English  newspapers  only  a  few  years  ago  treated 
it  as  a  myth ;  yet  there  is  no  doubt  whatever  of  its 
existence,  for  it  has  been  visited  by  many  reliable 
English  and  American  travellers.  It  was  begun 
two  hundred  and  fourteen  years  before  the  Chris- 
tian era. 

"  Our  artist  has  indicated  the  wall  on  the  map  ; " 
and  Mr.  Gaskette  pointed  it  out  on  the  west  shore 
of  the  Gulf  of  Liau-tung,  properly  a  part  of  the 
Gulf  of  Pe-chi-li,  and  traced  it  some  distance  to 
the  west.  "  Its  length,  following  its  numerous  twists 
and  bends,  through  valleys  and  over  mountains,  is 
fifteen  hundred  miles.  It  is  twenty-five  feet  wide 
at  the  base,  and  fifteen  at  the  top.  It  is  formed  by 
two  walls  of  brick,  different  from  those  we  use, 
weighing  from  forty  to  sixty  pounds;  and  the  space 
between  them  is  filled  with  earth  and  stones.  It 
varies  in  height  from  fifteen  to  thirty  feet. 

"The  top  of  the  wall  is  paved  with  brick,  but 
is  now  overgrown  with  grass.  Along  the  wall,  and 
not  on  it,  are  towers  of  brick  at  intervals.  You 
observe  that  at  Peking  the  wall  makes  a  sweep  to 
the  north,  perhaps  thirty  miles  or  more,  enclosing 
a  square  of  land  of  this  extent  outside  of  the  general 


302  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

course  of  the  structure.  I  met  an  American  gentle- 
man who  had  been  to  the  capital  of  China,  and  he 
told  me  he  had  been  to  the  Great  Wall.  Dr.  Legge 
may  take  the  conceit  out  of  some  travellers  when 
he  says :  '  What  foreigners  go  to  visit  from  Peking 
is  merely  a  loop-wall  of  later  formation,  enclosing 
portions  of  Chih-li  and  Shan-hsi.' 

"  Leaving  the  Grand  Canal  and  the  Great  Wall, 
we  will  pass  on  to  the  lakes  of  China.  They  are 
not  on  a  large  scale,  like  the  rivers;  and  they  are 
insignificant  compared  with  those  of  our  own  country. 
The  Tung-ting  Hu  appears  to  be  the  largest,  mostly 
in  the  province  of  Hunan,  which  is  sixty-five  or 
seventy  miles  long.  The  others  are  Po-yang  Hu, 
in  Chiang-hsi,  and  the  Tai  Hu,  which  is  noted  for 
its  romantic  scenery  and  numerous  islets. 

"The  temperature  of  the  various  provinces  is  on 
the  average  lower  than  any  other  country  in  the 
same  latitude.  There  is  every  variety  of  climate 
in  the  vast  territory  of  China.  The  natives  consider 
the  three  southern  provinces,  including  the  island 
of  Hainan,  less  healthy  than  the  other  portions  of 
the  country ;  but  foreigners  find  no  difficulty  in  re- 
siding in  them.  In  a  region  taking  in  over  twenty 
degrees  of  latitude,  the  productions  vary  from  those 
of  the  tropics  to  those  in  the  latitude  of  central 
New  York,  from  bananas  and  pineapples  in  the  south 
to  wheat  and  Indian  corn  in  the  north. 

"  About  all  the  common  grains  are  raised  in  the 
north,  and  rice  is  the  staple  product  of  the  south. 


THE  CONTINUATION  OF  THE   LECTURE      303 

All  sorts  of  vegetables  and  herbs,  ginger,  and  various 
condiments,  are  produced  and  largely  used;  though 
I  believe  the  people  are  not  so  hot,  gastronomically, 
in  their  taste  as  we  found  them  in  Batavia  and  some 
other  places  in  the  islands.  They  raise  the  cane 
and  make  sugar  in  Formosa  and  the  southern  prov- 
inces. All  the  fruits  of  our  own  country,  including 
Florida  and  Louisiana,  are  grown  in  different  parts 
of  China.  Opium,  which  formerly  came  into  the 
country  only  from  India,  is  now  produced  even  in 
Manchuria. 

"The  Chinese  are  pre-eminently  agriculturists,  and 
farming  is  their  occupation  above  anything  else.  In 
the  spring  the  emperor  turns  over  a  few  furrows  in 
a  sacred  field,  introducing  the  work  of  the  season  ; 
and  the  chief  official  in  every  province  does  the  same, 
keeping  the  importance  of  farming  pursuits  always 
before  the  people.  The  tools  they  use  are  very 
primitive ;  the  hoe  being  the  principal  hand-tool,  and 
the  plough  of  ancient  use  for  animal  power.  There 
is  an  extensile  application  of  irrigation,  which  is 
found  to  be  so  necessary  in  some  of  our  extreme 
Western  States.  In  the  north  wells  are  used;  and 
various  simple  machinery  is  employed  to  raise  water 
when  the  canal  or  river  is  below  the  level  of  the  field 
where  it  is  needed,  which  you  may  have  an  opportu- 
nity to  see. 

"No  kind  of  fertilizer  is  wasted,  and  some  are 
used  which  are  often  neglected  in  other  countries. 
A  great  deal  of  fun  and  sarcasm  is  applied  to  the 


304  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

food  of  the  Chinese,  but  most  of  us  rather  approved 
the  dishes  set  before  us  by  our  host  of  the  Flowery 
Nation  in  Singapore.  In  some  articles  used  for  culi- 
nary purposes,  Parisians  go  beyond  the  Chinese,  as 
in  the  use  of  horse-beef.  I  have  been  in  a  provision 
store  in  Paris  where  nothing  else  was  sold  ;  and  every 
part  of  the  animal  was  economized,  including  the  liver, 
kidneys,  and  tongue,  and  sausages  of  this  meat  were 
on  view  and  for  sale  to  epicures  in  this  flesh.  But  I 
believe  the  Chinese  do  not  eat  the  horse,  unless  it  be 
in  a  season  of  famine  ;  and  they  had  to  eat  cats  in 
Paris  during  the  siege  of  1870. 

"When  you  go  into  the  markets  you  may  see 
whole  dogs  dressed  for  food,  or  cut  up  into  pieces 
ready  for  cooking.  These  are  not  common  yellow 
dogs,  such  as  you  saw  in  the  capital  of  the  Turkish 
empire;  but  they  are  the  peculiar  Chinese  breed, 
sleek  and  hairless,  which  are  carefully  fatted,  and 
prepared  for  market.  I  have  no  doubt  that  your 
stomachs  revolt  at  the  very  idea  of  eating  dog ;  but 
I  cannot  see  that  it  is  any  worse  than  eating  pork 
and  fowls,  which  feed  more  or  less  on  animal  food. 
However,  I  do  not  hanker  after  dog-meat. 

"  The  Buddhist  religion  prevails  to  a  great  extent 
here,  which  diminishes  the  quantity  of  beef  used, 
though  not  so  much  as  the  kindly  feeling  towards 
the  creature  that  is  so  useful  in  tilling  the  soil. 
Pork  is  the  most  common  in  use  for  meat,  and  the 
number  of  pigs  raised  is  enormous.  Geese  and  ducks 
are  abundant,  artificially  hatched  as  in  ancient  Egypt, 


THE  CONTINUATION  OF  THE  LECTURE      305 

and  to  a  considerable  extent  in  America,  and  are 
largely  used  for  food. 

"The  sea,  rivers,  and  lakes  supply  fish  in  all 
needed  quantities.  They  are  taken  in  nets,  and 
also  by  a  novel  method  of  fishing  with  which  you 
cannot  be  familiar.  A  boat  goes  out  with  a  number 
of  cormorants  trained  for  the  purpose,  which  are 
fishers  by  nature.  The  birds  dive  and  bring  up 
the  fish,  which  they  deposit  in  the  hand-nets  of  the 
boatman. 

"Dr.  Legge  says  the  Chinese  are  not  gross  feed- 
ers, as  generally  represented,  except  the  very  poor, 
and  that  a  Chinese  dinner  of  twenty-seven  courses 
'may  hold  its  own  with  the  most  luxurious  tables/ 
He  adds  that  the  famous  bird's-nest  soup  is  a  mis- 
nomer ;  but  he  admits  that  nests  from  the  Indian 
Archipelago  are  sliced  into  other  soups,  in  his  opinion 
without  improving  the  flavor. 

"  For  a  drink,  tea  has  superseded  every  other  bev- 
erage, and  is  taken  without  sugar  or  milk.  It  was 
not  used  at  all  in  ancient  times,  but  its  use  is  univer- 
sal at  the  present  time.  The  plant  is  not  grown  in 
the  north.  Black  tea  comes  from  the  central  prov- 
inces, and  green  from  two  eastern  mainly.  Next  to 
silk,  if  not  equal  to  it,  tea  is  the  principal  article 
of  export.  The  doctor  says  that  tea-drinking  pro- 
motes the  temperance  of  the  people  more  than  any 
other  influence.  Alcoholic  liquors  are  distilled  from 
rice  and  millet. 

"  From  the  twelfth  century  B.C.   the  literature  of 


306  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

the  nation  abounds  in  temperance  lectures,  warning 
the  people  against  the  injury  of  strong  drinks ;  but 
tea  has  done  vastly  more  to  prevent  their  use  than 
anything  else.  As  a  people  at  home  the  Chinese 
make  little  use  of  liquors,  though  that  is  not  always 
the  case  with  those  who  live  in  New  York.  They 
do  not  sit  down  to  tea  as  we  do,  but  keep  it  at  hand 
at  all  times,  and  treat  their  visitors  with  it.  Tea  is 
written  in  the  vernacular  of  the  natives  cttd.  When 
it  was  first  imported  into  England  it  was  called  fay  ; 
but  those  who  gave  it  the  name  were  doubtless  Irish- 
men, and  they  still  stick  to  it. 

"There  is  no  doubt  that  silk  was  first  produced 
in  China;  and  silk,  linen,  and  cotton  form  the  cloth- 
ing of  the  people.  A  ceremony  like  that  with  the 
plough  is  performed  by  the  emperor  over  the  silk- 
worms and  mulberry-trees,  whose  leaves  are  the 
food  of  the  worm.  From  before  the  twenty-third 
century  B.C.,  the  care  of  the  silkworm,  and  the  spin- 
ning and  weaving  of  the  thread  from  the  cocoon,  has 
been  the  particular  labor  of  the  women.  The  mul- 
berry-tree grows  everywhere  in  the  country,  and  silk 
is  manufactured  in  greater  or  less  quantities  in  every 
province. 

"  The  cotton-plant  has  been  propagated  in  China ; 
and  the  cloth  is  largely  used  there,  though  not  equal 
in  finish  to  the  imported  article,  but  is  heavier  and 
more  lasting  in  wear.  Nankeen  comes  from  Nan- 
king. There  are  no  fireplaces  in  the  houses ;  and  the 
people  keep  warm,  if  they  can,  by  increasing  their 


THE   CONTINUATION  OF   THE  LECTURE      307 

clothing.  Woollen  goods  are  not  manufactured  to 
any  great  extent. 

"  I  will  not  describe  the  pagodas,  pavilions,  bridges, 
and  palaces;  for  you  will  see  them  for  yourselves. 
The  streets  of  the  cities  in  the  south  and  some  in 
the  north  are  no  better  than  mere  lanes;  and  the 
crowds  of  people  hustling  through  them  fill  them 
about  full,  and  make  you  think  the  place  is  vastly 
more  populous  than  it  really  is.  As  a  set-off  to  this 
idea,  you  will  wonder  what  has  become  of  the  women, 
for  you  rarely  meet  any  of  them. 

"The  streets  are  paved  with  stone  slabs,  badly 
drained,  and  abounding  in  bad  odors,  and  you  are 
not  likely  to  enjoy  your  walks  through  them ;  but 
they  have  magnificent  names,  which  you  will  not 
read  at  the  corners,  such  as  the  street  of  Benevo- 
lence, Righteousness,  etc.  When  you  go  into  the 
house  of  a  tolerably  well-to-do  family,  you  will  find 
the  quantity  of  furniture  rather  scanty,  and  not  luxu- 
rious. The  floor  may  be  covered  with  matting,  but 
you  will  find- no  carpets  or  rugs.  A  table  and  some 
straight-backed  chairs  are  the  principal  pieces.  On 
the  walls  you  may  find  Chinese  pictures,  which  will 
not  challenge  your  admiration,  though  they  may  be 
artistic  in  China.  Some  jars  and  specimens  of  fine 
porcelain  may  adorn  the  room,  with  writings  on  the 
walls  expressing  moral  sentiments.  There  may  be 
a  couch,  or  more  of  them,  of  bamboo  and  rattan. 

"  The  bamboo  is  quite  as  important  a  production  in 
China  as  we  have  found  it  in  India  and  the  islands ; 


308  FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

and  it  is  used  for  all  the  purposes  here,  and  more 
in  addition  than  have  been  mentioned  to  you  before. 
The  bastinado  of  the  magistrate  and  the  school- 
master's instrument  of  torture  are  both  bamboos. 

"  Our  Nimrods  would  not  find  much  sport  here ; 
for  the  country  is  too  densely  populated  to  afford 
hiding-places  for  wild  animals,  though  a  bear  or  a 
tiger  may  sometimes  appear,  and  is  quickly  killed. 
There  are  elephants,  rhinoceroses,  and  tapirs  in  the 
forests  of  Yun-nan ;  and  the  emperor  has  tame  ele- 
phants at  Peking  for  state  purposes.  The  brown 
and  the  black  bear  are  found  in  certain  localities,  as 
well  as  varieties  of  deer. 

"  The  domestic  four-footed  animals  are  small  horses 
and  small  cattle,  which  have  not  been  improved. 
The  donkey  is  a  livelier  beast  than  in  England  or 
America.  About  the  capital  there  are  very  fine 
mules,  which  are  fashionable  there  as  they  are  in 
some  parts  of  Spain.  Birds  of  prey  are  common, 
and  magpies  are  sacred  birds  which  the  Nimrods 
must  not  shoot.  The  people  are  very  fond  of  song- 
birds and  flowers,  which  proves  their  good  taste. 

"  There  are  vast  quantities  of  minerals  beneath  the 
soil  of  the  country,  yet  little  had  been  done  in  min- 
ing ;  though,  since  the  government  has  steamers  of  its 
own,  they  are  doing  more  to  develop  the  mines.  The 
currency  of  the  country  is  nowhere  ;  for  the  only  coin 
that  is  legally  current  is  the  copper  cash,  of  which  it 
takes  ten  to  make  our  cent.  Large  payments  are 
made  in  silver  by  weight,  and  the  housekeeper  has  to 


THE   CONTINUATION   OF   THE   LECTUKE      309 

keep  a  pair  of  scales  handy  to  ascertain  the  value  of 
the  silver  she  receives  or  expends. 

"  But  I  know,  my  friends,  that  I  have  wearied  you ; 
and  though  I  have  something  more  to  say  about  this 
very  interesting  country,  I  shall  defer  it  till  such 
time  as  the  commander  shall  appoint." 

The  professor  bowed  and  retired  j  but,  as  an  offset 
to  his  last  remark,  the  applause  was  more  prolonged 
and  vigorous  than  usual. 


310  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLOKEKS 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 

THE    CONCLUSION    OF    THE    LECTURE 

AT  lunch  the  passengers  talked  about  the  lecture 
that  was  not  yet  finished ;  and  all  of  them  who  said 
anything  declared  that  they  were  very  much  pleased 
with  it,  and  they  hoped  the  remainder  of  it  would,  be 
given  in  the  afternoon.  Of  course  all  of  them  had 
read  more  or  less  about  China ;  and  while  there  was 
much  that  was  new  to  them,  they  were  glad  to  have 
their  knowledge  of  the  country  revived. 

"I  have  been  in  Hong-Kong,  Canton,  and  Shang- 
hai, and  I  have  heard  no  lecture  on  board  that 
pleased  me  more  than  that  to  which  we  listened  this 
forenoon ;  and  I  appoint  this  afternoon  at  three 
o'clock  for  the  conclusion  of  it,"  said  the  commander. 

At  this  hour  all  the  company,  including  the  pas- 
sengers from  the  Blanche,  were  in  their  places ;  and 
the  speaker  mounted  the  rostrum,  apparently  as 
fresh  as  ever.  He  was  received  with  as  much  and  as 
earnest  applause  as  had  been  given  at  the  end  of  the 
second  part  of  his  lecture;  and  with  this  pleasant 
approval  of  his  work,  he  continued  his  discourse. 

"  According  to  the  accounts  of  all  recent  travellers, 
the  roads  of  China  are  in  a  villanously  bad  condi- 
tion, and  there  are  no  railroads  worth  mentioning," 


THE  CONCLUSION   OF  THE   LECTURE         311 

he  began.  "  And  yet  the  necessity  of  good  common 
roads  was  apparent  to  the  ruler,  even  before  the 
building  of  the  Great  Wall,  and  twenty  thousand 
of  them  have  been  constructed ;  but  the  Chinese, 
having  finished  a  great  work,  do  not  meddle  with 
it  again.  The  roads  have  never  been  repaired 
thoroughly,  and  that  accounts  for  their  present  con- 
dition. The  rivers  and  canals  furnish  the  principal 
means  of  communication,  though  the  roads  are  still 
used. 

"The  dress  of  the  poorer  classes  is  very  much 
the  same  for  both  sexes.  It  is  regulated  by  sump- 
tuary laws  for  all  classes ;  but  it  is  varied  by  the 
wealthy  in  the  use  of  costly  material,  and  the  orna- 
ments they  add  to  it.  You  have  all  seen  Chinamen 
enough  in  the  streets  of  New  York  and  other  cities, 
and  the  dress  they  wear  is  about  the  same  as  that 
worn  in  their  native  land.  The  queue  is  the  most 
notable  thing  about  them.  This  was  not  the  ancient 
custom  of  wearing  the  hair,  but  was  introduced  and 
enforced  by^the  Manchu  rulers  over  three  hundred 
years  ago,  when  it  was  considered  a  degrading  edict ; 
though  now  the  Chinaman  sticks  to  his  queue  with 
as  much  tenacity  as  he  does  to  his  very  life. 

"  The  small  feet  of  the  women,  even  of  the  highest 
class,  is  quite  as  notable  as  the  queues.  This  species 
of  deformity  was  not  required  by  the  Manchus,  for 
they  wore  their  feet  as  God  gave  them;  and  it  is 
not  an  ancient  custom,  for  it  has  prevailed  only 
from  the  sixth  century  of  our  era.  Nature's  growth 


312  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

is  checked  by  tightly  bandaging  the  feet  in  early 
childhood,  subjecting  the  victim  to  severe  pain  and 
discomfort.  But  you  will  see  the  women  for  your- 
selves, and  can  judge  of  the  effect  upon  them.  The 
very  poor  and  those  in  menial  conditions  are  not 
necessarily  subjected  to  the  torture,  but  fashion  car- 
ries even  many  of  this  class  into  the  custom.  Small 
but  natural  feet  are  the  pride  of  our  young  ladies, 
and  some  of  them  complain  that  when  the  feet  were 
given  out  they  got  more  than  their  share. 

"  The  sexes  are  kept  apart  until  marriage ;  and 
this  has  been  a  social  feature  from  the  earliest  time. 
Girls  and  boys  in  the  family  did  not  occupy  the 
same  mat  or  eat  together  from  the  age  of  seven, 
and  when  the  former  were  ten  they  ceased  to  appear 
outside  of  the  women's  apartments.  Girls  were 
taught  manners  therein,  to  handle  the  cocoons,  to 
do  all  the  work  appertaining  to  the  manufacture 
of  silk  and  the  details  of  Chinese  housekeeping. 
This  was  in  the  feudal  time ;  and  the  females  were 
not  instructed  in  book-learning,  and  are  not  now, 
though  they  pick  up  something  of  an  education,  and 
learned  women  are  not  unknown,  even  those  who 
have  written  books. 

"  In  regard  to  marriage,  the  parents  have  entire 
control,  and  professional  match-makers  are  an  in- 
stitution. It  is  to  a  great  extent  a  matter  of  horo- 
scopes. Usually  the  bride  and  groom  have  not  seen 
each  other  till  the  marriage  ceremony,  and  of  course 
they  lose  all  that  delightful  period  which  precedes 


THE  CONCLUSION   OF   THE   LECTUKE         313 

the  event.  But  they  appear  to  take  to  each  other 
when  brought  together,  and  to  be  happy  as  man  and 
wife.  Though  the  man  has  one  legal  wife,  there  is 
no  law  or  custom  to  prevent  him  from  taking  half 
a  dozen  more  secondary  wives. 

"There  are  seven  lawful  grounds  for  divorcing  a 
wife  from  her  husband,  —  disobedience  to  her  hus- 
band's parents;  failure  to  give  birth  to  a  son;  dis- 
solute conduct ;  jealousy  of  her  man,  especially  in 
regard  to  the  other  wives ;  talkativeness  ;  thieving ; 
and  leprosy.  I  will  leave  the  ladies  to  make  their 
own  comments.  There  are  three  considerations 
which  may  set  aside  these  reasons  for  divorce, — 
that  her  parents  are  no  longer  living;  that  she  has 
passed  with  her  spouse  through  the  years  of  mourn- 
ing for  his  parents  ;  and  that  he  has  become  rich 
after  being  poor.  The  children  are  often  affianced 
in  childhood,  and  probably  this  fact  furnishes  many 
of  the  grounds  for  proceedings  in  the  divorce  court. 

"  Infanticide  is  not  an  uncommon  crime  in  China, 
female  children  being  almost  always  the  victims. 
Probably  its  prevalence  is  somewhat  exaggerated. 
It  is  among  the  poorest  class  that  this  atrocity  pre- 
vails, the  universal  desire  for  male  children,  in  con- 
nection with  the  ancestral  worship  of  the  people, 
being  the  root  of  the  evil.  Public  opinion  is  against 
the  practice,  though  not  as  decidedly  as  might  be 
wished. 

"  The  complexion  of  the  Chinese  is  yellowish,  as 
you  have  seen  in  our  streets ;  and  from  the  extreme 


314  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

north  to  the  Island  of  Hainan,  they  all  have  long 
black  hair,  almond  or  oblique  eyes,  high  cheek-bones, 
and  round  faces.  They  are  greatly  addicted  to 
opium  and  gambling  wherever  you  find  them.  Dr. 
Legge  says  that  the  longer  one  lives  among  them 
the  better  he  likes  them,  and  the  better  he  thinks 
of  them ;  but  we  are  not  likely  to  be  able  to  test 
the  correctness  of  this  remark. 

"The  Chinese  bury  their  dead  in  graves  in  the 
form  of  a  horseshoe,  and  with  an  almost  infinite 
variety  of  ceremonies  and  sacrifices.  Where  the 
friends  are  able  to  pay  the  expense,  the  last  rites 
are  ostentatious  and  very  costly.  You  may  chance 
to  see  something  of  them  before  you  leave  the  coun- 
try. When  a  very  rich  Chinaman  travels,  he  takes 
his  coffin  with  him. 

"  They  have  no  day  in  the  week  corresponding 
to  our  Sunday,  but  they  have  an  annual  universal 
holiday  at  New  Year's.  It  is  a  season  of  rejoicing 
and  festivity  all  over  the  country.  Stores  are  closed 
for  several  days,  and  the  government  offices  are  shut 
up  for  a  month.  The  people  '  dress  up,'  and  the 
temples  are  visited,  the  gambling  resorts  are  in  full 
blast,  and  crackers  and  other  fireworks  make  Fourth 
of  July  of  the  season. 

"There  is  some  sort  of  a  festival  every  month, 
such  as  the  '  Feast  of  Lanterns,'  on  the  full  moon, 
of  the  tombs,  l Dragon  Boats,'  and  'All  Souls,'  in 
honor  of  departed  relatives,  when  the  supposed  hun- 
gry spirits  from  the  other  side  of  the  Styx  are  fed 


THE  CONCLUSION   OF  THE  LECTUKE         315 

at  the  cemeteries.  The  people  are  extravagantly 
fond  of  theatricals;  and  a  kind  of  bamboo  tent  is 
erected  for  the  performance,  which  is  usually  of 
inordinate  length.  Females,  as  in  India,  do  not 
appear  on  the  stage. 

"  It  would  be  quite  impossible  for  me  to  follow 
the  consecutive  history  of  China  from  2637  B.C. 
down  to  the  present  time ;  it  would  be  an  inflic- 
tion upon  you,  and  I  shall  only  mention  some  of 
the  principal  events.  Our  authority  in  these  re- 
marks numbers  the  Chinese  army  at  three  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand ;  the  Year  Book  makes  it  double 
this  number.  Judged  by  a  European  standard,  it 
does  not  amount  to  much  outside  of  mere  numbers ; 
though  in  addition  to  it  there  is  a  sort  of  militia, 
camped  in  the  several  provinces,  more  in  the  nature 
of  police  than  soldiers,  of  twice  as  many  men  as 
the  imperial  army. 

"The  first  great  war  in  China  was  the  Tai-Ping 
rebellion,  which  the  older  of  you  can  remember.  It 
began  in  1851,-and  was  continued  for  nearly  twenty 
years.  Its  leader  was  Hung,  a  poor  student,  who 
studied  up  a  new  religion,  which  was  certainly  an 
improvement  upon  those  of  the  people,  for  it  recog- 
nized the  Great  God,  and  Christ  as  the  Elder  Brother. 
A  strict  morality  and  the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath 
were  required  of  its  adherents,  and  idolatry  and  the 
use  of  opium  were  forbidden. 

"  Hung  incited  the  rebellion ;  and  its  object  was  to 
overturn  the  ruling  dynasty  of  the  Manchus,  and 


316  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLOttKLiS 

place  himself  on  the  throne.  It  was  at  first  very 
successful  in  its  progress,  and  it  looked  as.  though 
the  imperial  cause  was  doomed.  In  1855  the  rebels, 
for  the  want  of  sufficient  re-enforcements  in  an  at- 
tempt to  capture  Pekin,  were  compelled  to  retreat 
to  Nanking,  and  then  the  decline  of  the  insurrection 
began.  A  body  of  foreigners  under  an  American  by 
the  name  of  Ward  joined  the  imperialists,  and  ren- 
dered important  service ;  but  he  was  killed  in  battle 
in  1862.  He  was  succeeded  by  one  of  the  subordi- 
nates, who  became  General  Burgevine;  and  he  was 
quite  as  successful  as  General  Ward  had  been.  The 
new  general  fell  out  with  the  government,  and  re- 
tired. By  the  influence  of  British  residents  at  Shang- 
hai, who  had  organized  an  effective  army,  General 
Charles  George  Gordon,  of  whom  you  heard  in  Egypt, 
was  placed  in  command.  He  captured  Nanking,  and 
the  rebellion  was  suppressed  in  1865. 

"  You  have  been  informed  of  the  movements  of 
the  Portuguese,  English,  French,  Dutch,  and  Span- 
iards to  obtain  territory  in  the  East  from  1497,  when 
Vasco  da  Gama  doubled  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 
All  of  them  established  colonies ;  and  in  1516  they 
began  to  send  their  ships  to  China,  whose  people 
did  not  receive  them  kindly.  This  was  in  the  early 
days  of  the  Manchu  rulers,  who  claimed  to  be  su- 
perior to  all  other  monarchs  on  the  face  of  the  earth ; 
they  would  not  acknowledge  the  visitors  as  their 
equals,  and  regarded  them  as  vassals. 

"  When  the  Chinese  ruler  learned  of  the  conquests 


THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  LECTURE    317 

of  those  from  the  West  he  tried  to  prevent  their 
approach  to  his  dominions.  But  trade  had  been  es- 
tablished; and  the  opium  traffic  had  its  birth,  and 
the  people  were  crazy  to  procure  and  smoke  it.  This 
was  the  cause  of  the  wars  between  China  and  Eng- 
land and  France,  with  the  vassal  question.  In  1800 
an  edict  of  the  emperor  prohibited  the  importation 
of  opium  into  his  dominions. 

"England  before  this  had  entered  upon  the  task 
of  making  a  treaty  to  settle  the  relations  between 
the  two  countries ;  but  no  treaty  was  made,  and  the 
smuggling  of  opium  continued  for  many  years.  In 
1816  another  embassy  went  to  Pekin ;  but  it  was 
summarily  and  contemptuously  dismissed  because  the 
ambassador  refused  to  go  through  the  ceremony  of 
repeatedly  prostrating  himself  before  the  emperor, 
and  acknowledging  his  own  sovereign  as  a  vassal  of 
the  emperor. 

"The  trade  went  on  after  India  passed  to  the 
government  of  England.  China  was  still  obstinate, 
insisted  upon  the  vassalship  of  the  Western  nation, 
and  was  confident  in  her  power  to  repress  the  opium 
trade.  The  merchants  pressed  vigorously  for  the 
enlargement  of  their  trade  with  China,  which  did  not 
seem  to  be  aware  of  its  weakness  before  a  European 
power.  A  famous  mandarin  was  appointed  governor- 
general  of  the  Kwang  provinces  to  bring  the  bar- 
barians to  their  senses.  He  proceeded  in  earnest, 
and  England  declared  war  against  the  country  in 
1840.  The  result  was  evident  from  the  first,  and 


318  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

the  war  ended  with  the  peace  of  Nanking  in  1842. 
The  items  were  the  ceding  of  Hong-Kong  to  the 
victor,  the  opening  of  five  ports  to  the  trade  and  resi- 
dence of  the  British.  Correspondence  was  established 
between  the  officials  of  the  two  nations;  but  not  a 
word  was  said  about  opium,  and  the  smuggling  went 
on  as  before. 

"  In  1857,  after  some  troubles  in  Canton  in  which 
the  English  were  at  fault,  and  the  refusal  of  the 
governor-general  to  meet  an  agent  of  the  British  gov- 
ernment, the  latter  declared  war  again,  with  France 
as  an  ally.  Canton  was  captured  the  same  year ;  and 
Yeh,  the  governor,  was  taken  prisoner,  and  sent  to 
Calcutta.  There  was  little  fighting  in  this  war ;  and 
Canton  being  in  possession  of  the  allies,  a  joint  com- 
mission, attended  by  representatives  of  the  United 
States  and  Eussia,  proceeded  to  Pekin  to  make  their 
demands  upon  the  emperor.  A  treaty  was  made  at 
Tien-tsin,  confirming  the  former,  and  with  many  im- 
portant articles.  One  provided  for  the  appointment 
of  ambassadors  by  each  nation,  another  for  the  pro- 
tection of  Christian  missionaries,  and  several  others 
of  less  moment. 

"  It  looked  as  though  the  Chinese  emperor  had 
been  sufficiently  humiliated  ;  but  the  treaty  <  slipped 
up,'  for  its  last  clause  provided  that  the  treaty  should 
be  ratified  at  Pekin  within  one  year.  The  emperor 
could  not  abide  the  idea  of  permitting  the  ambassa- 
dors to  enter  the  sacred  capital,  and  he  looked  about 
him  for  the  means  of  escaping  the  issue.  The  forts 


THE   CONCLUSION   OF   THE  LECTURE         319 

between  the  capital  and  the  Gulf  of  Pe-chi-li  had 
been  rebuilt  and  were  well  armed.  The  Chinese 
officials  urged  the  signing  at  Tien-tsin,  and  this 
was  done  by  several  of  the  embassy;  but  France 
and  England  insisted  that  it  must  be  signed  in 
Pekin,  as  provided  in  the  instrument  itself. 

"  They  started  for  the  sacred  city  with  several 
men-of-war,  but  they  found  the  mouth  of  the  river 
closed  to  them  by  the  forts.  A  severe  engagement 
followed,  in  which  the  allies  were  beaten,  the  only 
battle  gained  by  the  Chinese.  At  the  end  of  a  year 
another  expedition  with  twenty  thousand  men  went 
with  the  ambassadors,  the  forts  were  all  taken,  and 
the  officials  went  to  Tien-tsin.  The  force  marched 
on  Pekin ;  and  the  emperor  fled,  leaving  his  brother 
Prince  Kung  to  meet  the  embassy.  The  north-east 
gate  of  the  city  was  surrendered,  and  the  treaty 
was  duly  signed  at  Pekin. 

"In  1861  the  emperor  died,  having  named  his 
son,  six  years  old,  as  his  successor.  A  dozen  years 
later  he  took  .possession  of  the  throne,  the  regency 
expiring  then.  He  died  two  years  later,  and  a 
nephew  of  Prince  Kung  was  appointed  to  the  suc- 
cession by  the  imperial  family.  He  was  a  child  of 
four  years  of  age  then,  and  reigned  under  a  regency 
till  1887,  when  he  took  possession  of  the  govern- 
ment at  the  age  of  sixteen. 

"  I  should  have  said  before  that  a  change  of  the 
tariff  in  1842  made  the  importation  of  opium  legal 
in  the  empire.  The  country  has  in  recent  years 


320  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

employed  foreign  officers  in  its  army  and  navy, 
and  foreign  mechanics  in  its  workshops.  China  is 
represented  at  five  of  the  principal  nations  of  the 
world  by  ambassadors.  It  has  built  up  a  very  re- 
spectable navy,  mostly  at  the  shipyards  of  Great 
Britain;  and  foreign  officers  have  greatly  improved 
the  condition  of  the  army. 

"Telegraphic  communication  has  been  extensively 
established,  and  a  railroad  eighty-one  miles  long 
has  been  built.  Educational  institutions  have  been 
founded,  and  schools  opened  for  the  instruction  of 
young  men  in  several  foreign  languages.  The  in- 
creasing consumption  of  opium,  which  seems  to  have 
been  placed  in  the  way  of  the  people  by  the  action 
on  the  part  of  England,  is  a  cause  for  great  regret 
among  the  friends  of  China.  I  have  said  too  much 
already,  and  I  know  you  must  be  very  tired.  I 
thank  you  for  bearing  with  me  so  long ;  and  I  will 
promise  not  to  do  so  again,  at  least  so  far  as  China 
is  concerned.  China  is  at  peace  with  all  the  world, 
and  I  leave  her  so." 

The  professor  retired  with  even  greater  applause 
than  in  the  forenoon.  Since  he  spoke,  China  has 
been  engaged  in  a  great  war  with  Japan;  and  pos- 
sibly his  account  of  the  country  will  assist  those 
who  are  yet  to  read  the  history  of  the  conflict. 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  HONG-KONG  AND  CANTON     321 


CHAPTER   XXXIV 

SIGHT-SEEING    IN    HONG-KONG    AND    CANTON 

AFTER  the  conclusion  of  the  lecture  in  the  after- 
noon, the  passengers  of  the  two  ships  had  another 
frolic,  as  Captain  Ringgold  called  it,  and  then  dined 
in  the  cabin ;  after  which  those  from  the  Blanche 
"  went  home,"  as  the  ladies  termed  it. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  following  day,  while 
the  passengers  of  the  Guardian-Mother  were  seated 
on  the  promenade,  the  lookout  forward  shouted, 
"  Land,  ho  ! "  The  announcement  caused  a  sensa- 
tion, as  usual,  though  it  was  an  old  story.  It  was 
reported  off  the  port  bow;  and  the  captain  said  it 
was  Lema  Island,  a  considerable  distance  from  Hong 
Kong. 

"  The  Chinese  name  of  Hong-Kong  is  Hiang-Kiang, 
which  means  '  sweet  waters/  "  said  the  commander. 
"It  is  a  ridge  of  rocks,  the  highest  point  of  which 
is  over  eighteen  hundred  feet  above  the  water.  It 
is  ninety  miles  south  by  east  of  Canton.  The  island 
has  an  area  of  twenty-nine  square  miles,  and  is  not 
more  than  half  a  mile  from  the  main  shore.  It  is 
a  barren  rock,  and  you  will  hardly  see  a  speck  of 
vegetation  on  the  whole  of  it.  In  the  south-west 
corner  of  the  island  is  the  city  of  Victoria,  with  a 


322  FOUR  YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

population  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-one  thousand ; 
and  it  is  one  of  the  great  centres  of  trade  with 
Western  nations.  The  principal  import  is  opium, 
and  the  principal  exports  are  tea  and  silk.  We 
shall  anchor  soon  in  its  splendid  harbor." 

An  English  pilot  was  taken  ;  and  at  sunset  the  ship 
was  at  anchor,  and  the  party  had  abundant  occupa- 
tion in  observing  the  rugged  shores,  the  shipping  that 
filled  the  harbor,  and  especially  the  Chinese  boats, 
in  charge  of  boat-women  generally.  A  few  junks 
were  in  sight;  and  they  had  seen  several  of  them 
among  the  islands  which  form  an  archipelago  at 
the  mouth  of  Canton  River,  extending  some  distance 
up  the  stream. 

"  There  are  a  number  of  hotels  here  with  Eng- 
lish names/'  said  the  captain  at  dinner ;  "  but  I  shall 
not  trouble  you  to  take  a  vote  on  the  question  of 
going  to  one  of  them,  for  we  shall  not  remain  here 
long,  not  more  than  one  day.  Our  steamers  can  go 
up  to  Canton;  but  I  think  we  had  better  go  up  in 
one  of  the  regular  steamers,  not  Chinese." 

After  breakfast  the  next  morning,  the  first  thing 
in  order  was  to  ascend  the  promontory  for  the  view 
it  would  afford.  But  they  could  not  walk  up,  it 
was  so  difficult  and  tiresome.  Before  they  left  the 
ship  the  American  consul  visited  her,  and  proffered 
his  assistance  to  the  tourists ;  for  he  had  read  about 
the  ships  in  the  papers  of  some  of  the  ports  they 
had  visited. 

This  gentleman  was  very  kind  and  very  polite,  and 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  HONG-KONG  AND  CANTON     323 

while  he  was  on  board  the  party  from  the  Blanche 
came  to  the  ship  in  the  steam-launch.  He  was  in- 
troduced to  everybody,  and  advised  the  travellers 
to  take  Chinese  sampans  for  their  visit  to  the  shore, 
for  the  novelty  of  the  thing.  The  water  around 
the  ship  was  covered  with  them,  and  a  sufficient 
number  of  them  were  taken  to  accommodate  the 
party.  "  The  colonel,"  as  the  consul  was  generally 
called,  talked  "  pidgin  "  English,  which  is  practically 
a  dialect  in  itself,  to  the  boat-women. 

The  captain,  Mrs.  Belgrave,  the  colonel,  and  a  few 
others  went  in  the  first  sampan,  and  the  lady  was 
pleased  with  the  women  in  charge  of  the  craft ;  and 
several  children  were  in  a  coop  at  the  stern.  The 
price  of  the  craft  was  ten  cents  for  half  an  hour. 
In  a  few  minutes  they  were  landed  at  the  town ;  and 
then  a  crowd  of  coolies,  as  the  laborers  are  called 
here,  surrounded  the  party  with  sedans  and  rick- 
shaws, and  all  were  anxious  for  a  job.  The  passen- 
gers waited  till  all  the  company  had  landed,  and  then 
took  sedans  or -rickshaws  for  the  Hong-Kong  Hotel. 

It  required  twenty  of  them  to  accommodate  the 
party.  The  commander  and  the  consul  went  into  the 
hotel ;  and  a  lunch,  or  tiffin  as  it  is  called  here  as  in 
India,  was  ordered  for  the  tourists  at  one  o'clock. 
Then  the  colonel  instructed  the  coolies  where  to  go, 
and  the  procession  started  for  a  round  in  the  city. 
The  buildings  are  constructed  of  granite,  which  is 
the  material  of  the  surrounding  heights,  the  dwell- 
ings with  verandas. 


324  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"  How  is  the  weather  here,  Colonel  ? "  asked  the 
captain,  when  they  stopped  to  examine  a  locality. 

"  The  average  temperature  is  seventy-five ;  and  that, 
of  course,  gives  us  some  hot  days  in  summer,  which 
is  a  rainy  season.  Thunder-storms  come  often ;  and 
once  in  a  while  a  typhoon  breaks  in  upon  us,  some- 
times doing  an  immense  amount  of  damage,"  replied 
the  consul.  "  But  the  climate  is  not  unhealthy.  If 
the  town  had  been  built  around  the  corner  of  the 
island,  it  would  have  been  cooler,  though  we  could 
not  have  had  this  magnificent  harbor." 

The  company  had  all  descended  when  a  stop  was 
made ;  and  most  of  them  insisted  upon  walking  along 
Queen's  Road  in  order  to  have  a  better  opportunity 
to  look  into  the  stores,  and  see  the  street  traders, 
for  most  of  the  Chinese  pursue  their  business  in  the 
open  air.  The  stores  were  filled  with  the  curious 
goods  peculiar  to  the  East,  such  as  China  crapes, 
porcelain  vases,  and  other  wares,  and  camphor-wood 
boxes,  proof  against  moths.  The  shop  people  were 
well  dressed  and  extremely  polite.  Several  stores 
were  visited,  those  indicated  by  the  colonel. 

One  man,  who  appeared  to  be  the  "boss,"  sat  at 
a  desk  with  a  little  brush,  or  camel's-hair  pencil,  for 
the  natives  do  not  write  with  pens,  and  made  a  tea- 
chest  character  in  a  kind  of  book  for  every  article 
sold.  The  salesmen  were  very  skilful  in  handling 
the  goods,  and  showing  them  in  the  most  tempting 
manner.  Mrs.  Belgrave  bought  some  things  that  she 
fancied  j  and  then  came  up  the  question  as  to  how  to 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  HONG-KONG  AND  CANTON     325 

pay  for  them,  for  they  had  no  Chinese  money.  The 
colonel  helped  them  out  by  giving  cards,  like  bank- 
checks,  payable  by  the  steward  of  the  Hong  mer- 
chants. 

Continuing  the  walk,  they  came  to  a  money- 
changer. The  commander  put  down  two  English 
sovereigns,  for  which  he  received  a  bag  full  of  the 
current  coins,  which  were  not  the  native  cash,  but 
the  pieces  made  for  Hong-Kong,  as  they  are  made 
for  the  island  of  Jamaica,  where  an  English  penny 
will  not  pass.  The  smallest  was  of  the  value  of  a 
cash,  or  one  mill.  A  cent  was  about  the  size  of  our 
old  copper  one,  and  a  ten-cent  piece  was  a  little 
larger  than  our  dime.  The  value  was  given  in  Chi- 
nese as  well  as  English  for  the  benefit  of  the  natives ; 
and  the  cash  piece  had  a  square  hole  in  the  centre, 
for  the  natives  keep  them  on  strings  or  wires. 

The  captain  gave  about  a  half  a  dollar's  worth 
of  this  money  to  each  person,  so  that  none  need  be 
bothered  about  paying  for  small  articles.  The  boys 
invested  a  portion  of  their  wealth  for  a  quantity 
of  Swatow  oranges,  about  the  size  of  heavy  bullets. 
They  could  not  understand  the  native  seller,  and 
permitted  him  to  take  his  pay  out  of  a  handful  of 
coins  ;  but  he  took  next  to  nothing,  and  they  were 
confident  they  were  not  cheated,  for  he  took  the 
same  coins  from  the  hands  of  all. 

Among  the  pedlers  all  sorts  of  vegetables  were  for 
sale,  and  the  groper-fish,  shark-fin  soup,  meats  minced 
with  herbs  and  onions,  poultry  cut  up  and  sold  in 


326  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

pieces,  stewed  goose,  bird's-nest  soup,  rose-leaf  soup 
with  garlic  —  heaven  with  the  other  place,  Scott 
called  it  —  and  scores  of  other  eatables  for  native 
palates,  and  some  of  them  would  suit  the  taste  of 
Americans. 

Taking  their  places  in  the  vehicles,  the  tourists 
were  borne  through  the  principal  streets.  There 
are  only  five  or  six  thousand  English  in  the  city, 
and  Hong-Kong  is  substantially  Chinese.  At  about 
eleven,  the  coolies  toted  the  sedans  to  the  top  of  the 
peak,  where  an  observatory  is  located,  following  a 
zigzag  path.  The  approach  of  every  vessel  of  any 
consequence  is  signalled  from  this  elevation  by  flags. 
The  ascent  is  difficult,  it  is  so  steep ;  and  the  bearers 
of  the  sedans  had  to  stop  and  rest  occasionally. 
The  view  is  magnificent,  and  the  consul  pointed 
out  the  objects  of  interest. 

It  was  easier  to  get  down  the  steep  than  to  get 
up,  and  the  party  reached  the  hotel  at  the  appointed 
time.  The  lunch  was  ready,  though  it  was  hardly 
first-class.  When  the  captain  asked  about  the  ex- 
pense of  living  for  Europeans  in  China,  the  colonel 
said  that  the  price  per  day  at  the  best  hotels  was 
from  four  to  six  dollars,  and  that  one  could  not 
keep  house  for  less  than  four  thousand  dollars  a 
year.  In  summer  the  people  live  in  bungalows  on 
the  peaks,  where  quite  a  town  has  grown  up.  The 
captain  paid  the  bill  in  English  gold.  In  the  after- 
noon the  company  made  an  excursion  by  a  regular 
steamer  to  Macao,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  HONG-KONG  AND  CANTON     327 

forty  miles  distant.  It  has  been  a  Portuguese  settle- 
ment since  1557 ;  but  it  had  little  interest  for  the 
tourists,  and  they  returned  by  the  same  steamer,  and 
went  on  board  of  the  ship. 

The  colonel  dined  on  board,  and  the  captain  an- 
nounced his  intention  to  go  to  Canton  the  follow- 
ing day.  The  next  morning  the  tourists  were  on 
board  of  the  steamer  for  that  city.  The  colonel 
could  not  go  with  them ;  but  he  procured  a  couple 
of  English  guides  to  attend  them,  one  of  whom  was 
Mr.  Inch  and  the  other  Mr.  Larch. 

"  Kwang-tung  is  the  native  name  of  the  city  to 
which  we  are  going,  and  from  this  the  English  had 
made  Canton,"  said  Mr.  Larch,  as  the  boat  left  the 
shore ;  and  he  proceeded  to  name  the  islands  in 
sight,  and  point  out  all  objects  of  interest,  as  he 
did  all  the  way  up  the  river. 

The  city  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  Choo-Chiang, 
or  Pearl  River,  ninety  miles  from  Hong-Kong.  They 
saw  nothing  of  especial  interest  except  a  temple  on 
the  shore,  aad  a  fort  with  a  three-story  pagoda 
rising  from  the  centre  of  it.  On  the  arrival  of  the 
steamer  off  the  city,  she  was  surrounded  by  boats 
as  at  Hong-Kong.  The  captain  of  the  boat  recom- 
mended one  he  called  Tommy,  though  it  was  a 
woman ;  and  her  craft  was  engaged,  with  as  many 
more  as  were  needed,  indicated  by  her. 

At  the  landing-place  Mr.  Seymour,  the  American 
consul,  to  whom  the  colonel  had  telegraphed,  was 
waiting  for  them.  He  introduced  himself,  and  was 


328  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

soon  on  the  best  of  terms  with  all  the  tourists.  He 
advised  them  to  go  to  the  International  Hotel,  and 
they  went  there.  A  score  of  sedans  and  rickshaws 
were  at  once  engaged;  and  Tommy  and  the  other 
women  carried  the  valises  and  bags  for  them,  each 
attended  by  the  owner.  They  were  to  remain  three 
days  in  Canton.  Dinner  was  the  first  ceremony  they 
performed  after  they  went  to  the  hotel,  and  the 
consul  joined  the  party  by  invitation. 

"Canton  is  a  city  with  a  population  estimated  at 
a  million  and  a  half,  including  the  people  that  live 
in  boats  from  one  year's  end  to  the  other,  and  doubt- 
less you  noticed  their  aquatic  dwellings  as  you  came 
up  the  river,"  said  the  consul,  who  had  been  invited 
to  tell  the  company  something  about  the  place.  "  It 
is  surrounded  by  a  wall  nine  miles  in  length,  built 
of  brick  and  sandstone,  twenty-five  to  forty  feet  high, 
and  twenty  feet  thick,  and  divided  by  a  partition 
wall  into  two  unequal  parts.  There  are  twelve  outer 
gates,  and  also  gates  in  the  partition  wall.  The 
names  of  these  are  curious,  as  Great  Peace  Gate, 
Eternal  Rest  Gate,  and  others  like  them.  There 
are  more  than  six  hundred  streets,  lanes  you  will 
call  them;  for  they  are  not  often  more  than  eight 
feet  wide,  very  crooked,  and  very  dirty.  This  is  the 
general  idea  of  the  city,  and  the  details  you  will  see 
for  yourselves." 

After  breakfast  the  next  morning  the  party  was 
organized  for  sight-seeing,  and  the  sedans  they  had 
used  the  day  before  were  ready  for  them.  The  two 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  HONG-KONG  AND  CANTON     329 

guides  insisted  upon  going  on  foot,  the  better  to 
discharge  their  duties.  They  rode  through  some  of 
the  principal  streets,  looked  into  the  shops,  and  ob- 
served the  pedlers ;  but  all  was  about  the  same  as 
in  Hong-Kong,  except  that  the  streets  were  wider 
in  the  latter.  The  same  goods  were  for  sale.  They 
looked  into  a  tea  saloon  j  and  the  gentlemen  entered 
an  opium  den,  which  nearly  made  some  of  them  sick. 

"  This  is  called  the  Plain  pagoda,"  said  Mr.  Inch, 
when  they  came  to  it.  "It  was  built  a  thousand 
years  ago,  and  is  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  high." 

They  were  taken  to  a  couple  of  Joss-houses,  or 
temples.  A  sort  of  tower  attracted  their  attention ; 
and  they  were  told  that  the  one  before  them,  and 
hundreds  of  others,  were  occupied  each  by  a  watch- 
man at  night  to  call  out  the  hours  of  the  night,  and 
give  the  alarm  in  case  of  fire.  They  halted  before 
the  nine-story  pagoda,  the  most  interesting  structure 
they  had  seen,  and  the  most  peculiarly  Chinese. 

"It  is  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  high,  and 
was  built  thirteen  hundred  years  ago,"  Mr.  Larch  ex- 
plained. "  Brick,  covered  with  marble  or  glazed  tile, 
is  the  material  used.  Each  story  is  smaller  than  the 
one  below  it,  and  each  has  a  balcony  around  it." 

"Now  we  come  to  the  Temple  of  Honam,  which 
is  one  of  the  largest  in  China,"  said  Mr.  Inch,  as 
they  halted  before  its  gates,  after  the  party  got  out 
of  the  sedans.  "With  its  grounds  it  covers  seven 
acres,  and  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  priests  are 
employed  in  it." 


330  FOUR   YOUNG    EXPLORERS 

"  What  is  the  religion  of  these  people  ? "  asked 
Mrs.  Woolridge. 

""The  priests  and  nnns  of  Canton  number  more 
than  two  thousand,  and  nine-tenths  of  them  are 
Buddhists.  The  Temple  of  Five  Hundred  Genii  con- 
tains that  number  of  statues,  various  in  size,  and  was 
erected  in  honor  of  Buddha  and  his  disciples." 

At  the  usual  hour  the  party  went  to  lunch,  and 
were  tired,  though  they  had  done  but  little  walking. 
The  sedans  were  dismissed  till  the  next  morning; 
the  afternoon  was  devoted  to  an  excursion  on  the 
river,  and  Tommy  had  been  directed  to  provide  the 
boats.  They  moved  through  the  wilderness  of  float- 
ing dwelling-places,  and  looked  them  over  with  won- 
der and  surprise.  Many  of  the  sampans  were  made 
of  three  planks;  and  the  people  on  board  of  them, 
mostly  women,  were  exceedingly  amusing. 

Large  junks,  some  of  them  from  five  hundred  to 
sixteen  hundred  tons  burden,  were  to  be  seen,  and 
long,  broad,  flat  Chinese  men-of-war,  with  twenty 
to  forty  guns ;  but  the  latter  are  out  of  fashion  now, 
and  modern-built  vessels  take  their  places.  They 
have  two  great  painted  eyes  on  the  bow  to  enable 
them,  as  the  Chinese  say,  to  find  their  way  over  the 
sea.  But  the  most  beautiful  sight  was  the  flower- 
boats,  having  galleries  decorated  with  flowers,  and 
arranged  in  most  fantastic  designs.  Each  of  these 
floating  gardens  contains  one  large  apartment  and 
a  number  of  cabinets.  The  walls  are  hung  with 
mirrors  and  graceful  draperies  of  silk,  and  glass 


SIGHT-SEEING  IN  HONG-KONG  AND  CANTON     331 

chandeliers  and  colored  lanterns  are  suspended  from 
the  ceiling.  Elegant  little  baskets  of  flowers  are 
hung  in  various  places.  It  seems  very  like  fairy-land 
on  these  boats.  They  are  stationary,  and  dinners 
are  given  on  board  by  the  Chinese  who  can  afford 
them.  They  are  also  places  of  amusement  by  day 
and  night,  and  plays,  ballets,  and  conjuring  take 
place  at  them;  but  no  respectable  females  frequent 
them. 

During  the  next  two  days  the  tourists  continued 
to  wander  on  foot  and  in  sedans  over  the  city  with 
the  guides.  One  day  they  went  to  the  great  exam- 
ination hall,  1330  feet  long  by  583  wide,  covering 
sixteen  acres,  and  containing  8653  cells,  in  which  stu- 
dents are  placed  so  that  there  shall  be  no  stealing 
others7  work. 

When  a  member  of  the  party  asked  the  meaning 
of  certain  tall  buildings,  he  was  told  that  they  were 
pawnbrokers'  offices;  for  the  Chinese  have  a  mania 
for  pawning  their  clothes,  or  whatever  they  have, 
even  if  not  in  iTeed  of  the  money,  to  save  the  trouble 
of  taking  care  of  the  articles.  Before  the  third  day 
of  the  stay  in  Canton  was  over,  some  of  the  party 
had  seen  enough,  and  preferred  to  remain  at  the 
hotel  while  others  were  out  with  the  guides.  The 
next  day  they  returned  to  Hong-Kong,  and  were  glad 
to  be  once  more  on  board  the  ships,  for  sight-seeing 
is  the  most  tiresome  work  in  the  world. 


332  FOUR    YOUNG   EXPLORERS 


CHAPTER   XXXV 

SHANG-HAI    AND    THE    YANG-TSZE-CHIANG 

THE  passengers  of  the  Guardian-Mother  were  on 
deck  at  an  early  hour  the  next  morning,  and  the 
smoke  was  rising  from  the  funnel  as  though  it  was 
the  intention  of  the  commander  that  she  should  sail 
soon;  and  some  of  them  began  to  wonder  if  they 
were  to  see  anything  more  of  China  than  could  be 
seen  from  the  deck  of  the  ship. 

"Well,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  have  you  seen  all 
you  wish  of  China  ? "  said  Captain  Ringgold,  as  he 
seated  himself  at  the  head  of  the  table  at  break- 
fast. 

"  We  can  put  it  to  vote,"  suggested  Mrs.  Belgrave. 

"I  don't  think  it  is  necessary,"  replied  the  com- 
mander, laughing.  "  We  shall  sail  this  forenoon  for 
Shang-hai,  for  I  suppose  that  some  of  you  who  keep 
hens  wish  to  see  the  home  of  the  famous  rooster 
that  bears  that  name." 

"I  thought  yesterday  afternoon  that  I  had  seen 
enough  of  China  to  last  me  the  rest  of  my  lifetime : 
but  I  feel  a  little  different  this  morning  since  I  got 
rested,"  said  Mrs.  Woolridge. 

"  It  is  said  that  travellers  enjoy  their  visits  to 
foreign  countries  more  after  they  get  home,  and  think 


SHAXG-HAI   AND   THE   YANG-TSZE-CHIANG      333 

over  what  they  have  seen,  than  they  do  while  going 
from  place  to  place,"  added  Mrs.  Belgrave.  "  I  think 
of  a  hundred  things  I  saw  in  Canton,  and  did  not 
understand,  that  I  shall  recall  when  I  read  about 
China,  as  I  intend  to  do  when  I  get  home." 

"  That  is  just  my  idea ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Wool- 
ridge.  "  It  will  take  me  three  years,  at  least,  after  I 
get  home  to  read  up  what  I  have  seen  on  this  voyage." 

Much  more  in  the  same  general  direction  was  said 
by  others.  When  they  went  on  deck  they  found  the 
pilot  who  had  brought  the  ship  into  port  walking 
back  and  forth.  He  had  brought  off  the  China  Mail, 
and  three  other  newspapers  in  English,  and  a  pile 
of  others  in  Chinese  to  be  kept  as  curiosities  by  the 
party.  The  captain  had  obtained  his  clearance  and 
other  papers  the  day  before,  as  soon  as  he  arrived 
from  Canton,  with  the  assistance  of  the  colonel,  who 
had  come  off  with  the  pilot  to  make  his  adieux.  In 
less  than  half  an  hour  the  ship  was  under  way  again, 
with  the  Blanche  following  her. 

"  How  far  is*  it  to  Shang-hai  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Bel- 
grave,  as  she  met  the  captain  in  front  of  the  pilot- 
house. 

"  It  is  eight  hundred  and  seventy  miles,  and  the 
voyage  will  require  two  days  and  fourteen  hours," 
he  replied.  "  I  shall  keep  well  to  the  eastward,  and 
if  you  are  up  by  six  to-morrow  morning  you  will 
see  the  island  of  Formosa.  Then  we  shall  be  about 
on  the  Tropic  of  Cancer,  when  we  shall  pass  out  of 
the  Torrid  Zone  —  out  of  the  tropics." 


834  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

This  information  was  circulated  by  the  lady  among 
all  the  passengers.  Before  noon  the  ship  was  out  of 
sight  of  land,  and  the  voyage  was  just  about  the 
same  as  it  had  been  in  smooth  seas  and  pleasant 
weather.  All  the  party  were  seated  on  the  prom- 
enade at  six  o'clock  the  next  morning. 

"But  there  is  land  on  both  sides  of  us,  Captain 
Kinggold,"  said  Mrs.  Belgrave.  "  Which  is  For- 
mosa ?  " 

"  That  on  your  right.  We  are  going  through  the 
Formosa  Channel;  and  the  islands  on  the  port  side 
are  the  Pescadores,  about  twenty  miles  from  For- 
mosa." 

After  breakfast,  when  the  ship  had  passed  the 
smaller  islands,  and  the  passengers  were  seated  on  the 
promenade,  the  commander  opened  upon  them  with 
a  talk  about  Formosa:  "The  name  of  the  island 
in  Chinese  is  Taiwan;  and  it  is  off  the  province 
of  Fu-chien,  and  from  ninety  to  two  hundred  and 
twenty  miles  from  it.  It  has  an  area  of  14,978 
square  miles,  or  about  the  size  of  the  States  of  Massa- 
chusetts, Rhode  Island,  and  Connecticut  put  together. 
It  has  a  chain  of  mountains  through  it,  the  highest 
peak  of  which  "  —  and  the  speaker  looked  at  his  mem- 
oranda —  "  is  12,847  feet  high. 

"  The  number  of  inhabitants  is  estimated  at  about 
2,000,000,  mostly  immigrants  from  China,  with  the 
original  natives.  The  island  is  exceedingly  rich  in 
its  vegetation,  and  the  plants  are  about  the  same 
as  those  of  the  main  land.  Rice  paper  is  made  of 


SHANG-HAI   AND   THE    YANG-TSZE-CHIANG      835 

the  pith  of  a  tree  found  only  in  Formosa.  In  the 
south  sugar  and  turmeric  are  the  staples.  The  latter 
is  a  plant  whose  root  is  bright  yellow,  used  in  dyeing 
silk.  Formosa  tea  has  become  well  known  at  home 
as  of  excellent  quality.  Other  productions  are  about 
the  same  as  in  southern  China. 

"There  are  plenty  of  birds  there,  but  no  wild  ani- 
mals of  any  consequence  that  are  game  for  the  Nim- 
rods.  A  great  deal  more  might  be  said  about  the 
island,  but  you  have  more  now  than  you  are  likely 
to  remember.  You  can  see  many  junks  now,  and 
the  trade  with  China  is  mostly  carried  on  in  them ; 
and  some  of  them  are  pirates  in  these  seas,  even 
to  the  south  of  Hainan,  for  a  trading-junk  turns  into 
a  pirate  when  her  captain  can  make  some  money 
by  it." 

After  lunch  the  Blanche's  people  came  on  board, 
and  all  hands  had  the  usual  frolic  during  the  after- 
noon and  evening.  The  next  morning  the  captain 
told  his  passengers  that  they  had  passed  out  of  the 
China  Sea  the  day  before,  and  that  they  were  on  the 
Tung-hai,  or  Eastern  Sea,  outside  of  which  was 
the  broad  Pacific  Ocean.  On  the  third  morning  from 
Hong-Kong,  when  the  company  came  on  deck,  they 
found  the  Guardian- Mother  at  anchor,  but  just  get- 
ting under  way  with  an  English  pilot  on  board,  who 
had  been  taken  late  the  evening  before. 

"  Where  are  we  now,  Captain  Kinggold  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Woolridge,  when  the  party  had  seated  themselves 
on  the  promenade  to  see  what  was  to  be  seen. 


336  FOUR   YOUNG  EXPLORERS 

"  We  are  at  the  mouth  of  the  great  river  Yang-tsze- 
Chiang ;  but  we  shall  soon  pass  into  a  branch  of  it 
called  the  Woo-Sung,  and  find  Shang-hai,  for  it  is 
correctly  written  with  a  hyphen  between  the  syl- 
lables," replied  the  commander.  "  But  the  tide  is 
right ;  and  we  can  go  over  the  bar  without  any  delay, 
the  pilot  says.  It  is  about  twelve  miles  up  the  river 
to  the  town ;  and,  as  you  can  see,  the  country  is  low 
and  flat.  The  city  has  250,000  inhabitants,  and  is 
the  principal  central  port  of  China  for  foreign 
trade." 

The  channel  of  the  river  was  crowded  with  junks, 
and  there  are  sometimes  as  many  as  three  thousand 
of  them  between  the  town  and  the  sea ;  but  they  were 
careful  to  keep  out  of  the  track  of  steamers,  even 
though  they  had  the  right  of  way.  The  two  steamers 
picked  their  way  through  the  native  boats,  and  they 
were  at  anchor  off  the  city  in  season  for  the  late 
breakfast  ordered. 

"  Shang-hai  stands  on  low  ground ;  and  cholera, 
dysentery,  and  fevers  prevail  here  in  summer,"  said 
the  commander  when  they  were  all  seated  at  the 
table.  "  The  English,  French,  and  American  quar- 
ters are  in  the  suburb  north  of  the  native  city,  and 
they  have  broad  and  clean  streets  ;  but  in  the  city 
proper,  they  are  narrow  and  filthy,  not  unlike  those 
of  Canton.  It  is  enclosed  by  a  wall  five  miles  in 
extent.  What  else  there  is  here  you  can  see  for 
yourselves." 

The   captain  decided,   after  the   pacha   came   on 


SHANG-HAI   AND   THE   YANG-TSZE-CHIAXG     337 

board  in  his  barge  with  the  rest  of  his  party,  to 
lunch  and  dine  at  the  Astor  House,  perhaps  because 
the  name  sounded  like  home ;  but  he  found  that  the 
hotel  "  was  a  horse  of  another  color."  They  went  on 
shore  in  some  of  the  native  boats  that  crowded 
around  the  ship ;  and  their  first  care  was  to  secure  six 
guides,  all  that  offered  their  services  on  the  quay. 
The  next  was  to  procure  a  supply  of  the  money  cur- 
rent in  the  city,  which  was  accomplished  with  the 
aid  of  the  principal  guide,  all  of  whom  were  Eng- 
lish, who  could  speak  Chinese  and  pidgin. 

The  company  were  then  divided  into  six  parties, 
who  had  suggested  this  plan  when  they  found  that 
this  number  of  guides  could  be  obtained.  The  "  Big 
Four  "  went  together,  and  the  rest  of  the  company 
were  in  parties  of  three.  The  conveyances  were 
found  to  be  small,  low  broughams,  pony  gigs,  palan- 
quins, jinrickishas,  and  wheelbarrows,  the  last  such 
as  the  party  had  seen  in  Cholan.  The  boys  decided 
to  walk  first,  and  try  the  vehicles  later.  They  went 
into  a  shop  where  Louis  saw  something  in  a  window 
he  wanted,  and  the  guide  asked  the  price  for  him. 
The  dealer  refused  to  show  the  article,  or  to  name  a 
price,  unless  Louis  would  agree  to  buy  if  he  did  so. 

They  were  not  like  the  Hong-Kong  salesmen ;  for 
there  were  several  of  them,  and  they  were  impolite 
enough  to  make  fun  of  the  tourists.  Scott  doubled 
his  fists,  and  was  inclined  to  pitch  into  the  one  who 
refused  to  show  any  goods  till  they  were  practi- 
tically  sold ;  but  Louis  begged  him  to  desist.  They 


388  FOUR    YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

next  went  into  a  tea  saloon  in  the  middle  of  a  dirty 
pond  of  water,  which  would  have  just  suited  the 
taste  of  a  Dutchman  at  home. 

The  tea  was  given  to  them  in  the  cups,  and  they 
poured  in  hot  water.  The  keeper  swindled  them  in 
asking  about  five  times  the  price,  and  the  guide  re- 
monstrated ;  but  the  fellow  was  saucy,  and  the  charge 
was  paid  to  avoid  trouble.  The  guide  said  the  other 
fellow  would  have  cheated  them  in  the  same  ratio,  if 
Louis  had  agreed,  as  he  required,  to  buy.  Then  they 
looked  into  an  opium  joint,  where  the  smokers  were 
reclining  on  broad  benches.  The  pipe  was  a  tube 
with  the  bowl  on  the  top.  The  drug  is  boiled  till  it 
is  of  the  consistency  of  honey.  Something  like  a 
knitting-needle  is  then  taken  by  the  smoker,  the  end 
of  which  is  dipped  in  the  jar ;  the  needle  is  then 
turned  till  the  opium  becomes  a  ball  as  big  as  a  pea. 
It  is  then  held  in  a  flame  till  it  is  partially  lighted, 
when  it  is  dropped  into  the  bowl  of  a  pipe.  The 
amount  used  is  counted  in  pipes,  some  being  satiated 
with  two  or  three  of  them,  while  the  hard  cases  re- 
quire twenty.  In  either  case  he  goes  to  sleep,  and 
has  pleasant  dreams.  The  habit  is  very  deleterious 
to  those  who  practise  it,  and  death  results  from  ex- 
cessive use  of  the  drug. 

"There  is  a  sedan  with  a  Chinese  magnate  in  it, 
with  four  bearers,"  said  the  guide  ;  "  but  it  is  not  so 
common  here  as  in  Hong-Kong  and  Canton." 

The  barrow  excited  the  attention  of  the  boys  more 
than  the  other  vehicles.  At  the  door  of  the  shop 


SHANG-HAI   AND  THE  YANG-TSZE-CHIANG      339 

they  saw  a  native  reading  a  paper,  wearing  a  pair  of 
spectacles  whose  eyes  were  almost  as  big  as  saucers. 
After  walking  through  the  streets  of  Hong-Kong  and 
Canton,  the  boys  saw  very  little  that  was  new  to 
them. 

"  Is  there  a  cemetery  in  the  town  ?  "  asked  Louis, 
after  they  had  become  somewhat  tired,  not  to  say 
disgusted,  with  the  dirty  streets,  and  the  crowd  in 
them. 

"  Nothing  that  you  Americans  would  call  by  that 
name,"  replied  the  guide.  "  There  are  some  small 
burial-grounds;  but  the  Chinese  generally  bury  their 
dead  in  private  grounds,  outside  of  the  cities.  They 
have  a  reverence  for  their  dead  which  is  not  equalled 
by  any  people  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  graves 
of  the  rich  and  noted  are  very  carefully  selected,  and 
are  decorated  with  great  care  and  taste.  Some  of  the 
finest  gardens  in  the  country  are  those  enclosed  in  a 
private  burial-place. 

"  A  rich  Chinaman  thinks  more  of  his  coffin  than 
he  does  of  his  iiouse.  He  often  buys  it  years  before 
he  has  occasion  to  use  it,  and  keeps  it,  taking  better 
care  of  it  than  he  does  of  his  female  children. 
Wherever  a  Chinaman  dies,  he  must  be  sent  home  to 
be  buried ;  and  many  of  them  come  here  from  Amer- 
ica, taken  up  from  the  earth  even  a  year  or  more 
after  death." 

At  this  point  the  party  came  to  an  open  place 
where  there  were  all  the  different  vehicles  used  in 
the  city  waiting  to  be  employed ;  and  as  it  was  nearly 


340  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

time  for  the  lunch,  they  decided  to  ride  to  the  hotel. 
Louis  took  a  rickshaw,  as  it  is  called  here ;  Scott 
and  Morris  preferred  a  wheelbarrow,  and  Felix  took 
another,  balanced  by  the  guide.  They  were  novel  con- 
veyances to  the  boys,  and  they  enjoyed  the  ride  very 
much.  The  rest  of  the  parties  returned  to  the  hotel 
about  the  same  time.  There  were  Chinese  dishes  on 
the  table ;  and  those  who  had  tried  some  of  them  be- 
fore ordered  them,  especially  the  bird's-nest  soups. 
The  hams  were  very  nice,  and  the  captain  hoped  that 
Mr.  Sage  had  procured  some  of  them  for  the  ship. 

The  afternoon  was  spent  as  the  forenoon  had  been, 
but  the  party  found  little  to  interest  them.  The 
next  day  the  tourists  made  an  excursion  up  the  Yang- 
tsze-Chiang,  and  enjoyed  it  very  much.  They  saw  a 
little  of  the  farming  operations,  as  a  man  ploughing 
with  a  buffalo,  which  looked  more  like  a  deer  than  a 
bovine  ;  others  carrying  bundles  of  grain,  one  at  each 
end  of  a  pole  on  their  shoulders  ;  another  threshing  by 
beating  a  bunch  of  the  stalks  on  a  frame  like  a  ladder 
or  clothes-horse ;  but  what  pleased  them  most  were 
the  fishermen.  One  had  a  net  several  feet  square, 
suspended  at  the  end  of  a  pole.  It  was  sunk  in  the 
water,  and  then  hauled  up.  Any  fish  that  happened 
to  be  over  it  then  was  brought  up  with  it ;  but  Scott 
declared  that  this  device  was  an  old  story,  and  they 
were  used  in  the  United  States,  though  an  iron  hoop 
was  the  frame  of  the  net. 

They  were  more  interested  in  the  fishing  with  cor- 
morants. A  man  with  a  dip-net  in  his  hand  stood 


SHA^G-HAI  AND   THE   YANG-TSZE-CHIANG     341 

on  a  bamboo  raft,  on  which  was  a  basket  like  those 
the  snake-charmers  use  in  India,  to  receive  his  fish. 
The  birds  were  about  the  size  of  geese.  They  dived 
into  the  water,  and  brought  up  a  fish  every  time. 
They  have  a  ring  or  cord  on  their  necks  so  that  they 
cannot  swallow  their  prizes,  and  they  drop  them  into 
the  dip-net. 

They  went  up  as  far  as  Taiping,  where  they  took 
a  returning  steamer,  and  that  night  slept  on  board 
the  ships.  On  the  following  morning  the  steamers 
went  down  the  river;  and  then  the  question  where 
they  were  to  go  next  came  up,  and  the  commander 
soon  settled  it  by  announcing  that  the  ship  was 
bound  to  Tien-tsin,  on  the  way  to  Pekin. 


342  FOUJi   YOUNG   EXPLOKEiiS 


CHAPTER    XXXVI 

THE    WALLS    AND    TEMPLES    OF    PEKIN 

THE  company  had  hardly  expected  that  Captain 
Ringgold  would  go  to  the  capital,  for  it  was  off  the 
course  to  Japan,  which  was  the  next  country  to 
be  visited ;  but  their  curiosity  had  been  greatly 
excited,  and  he  was  disposed  to  gratify  it. 

"Pekin  is  not  on  navigable  water,  and  we  can- 
not go  there  in  the  ship,"  said  he.  "  We  go  to 
Tien-tsin,  which  is  the  seaport  of  Pekin,  about 
eighty  miles  distant  from  it.  It  is  a  treaty  port, 
and  is  said  to  have  a  population  of  six  hundred 
thousand ;  the  number  can  doubtless  be  considerably 
discounted.  The  next  thing  is  to  get  to  Pekin; 
though  we  can  go  most  of  the  way  by  boat  to  Tung- 
chow,  thirteen  miles  from  the  capital.  Some  go  all 
the  way  on  horseback  or  by  cart.  We  will  decide 
that  question  when  we  get  to  Tien-tsin." 

"  How  long  will  it  take  us  to  go  there  ? "  asked 
Uncle  Moses. 

"  About  two  days  ;  we  are  off  Woo-Sung  now.  We 
have  the  pilot  on  board,  and  we  shall  go  to  sea  at 
once,"  replied  the  commander. 

Nothing  of  especial  interest  occurred  on  the  voy- 
age ;  and  before  noon  on  the  second  day  out  the  two 


THE   WALLS   AND   TEMPLES   OF   PEKIN       343 

ships  were  off  the  mouth  of  the  Pei-ho  Kiver,  and  a 
Chinese  pilot  was  taken.  As  they  went  up  the  river 
they  saw  the  Taku  forts,  where  the  Celestial  soldiers 
won  their  only  victory  over  the  English,  but  were 
badly  beaten  the  following  year.  On  the  rising  tide 
the  ships  got  up  the  river,  and  anchored  off  the 
town. 

The  place  was  like  any  other  Chinese  city,  and 
was  quite  as  dirty  as  the  dirtiest  of  them.  Two  of 
the  guides  from  Shang-hai,  wha  were  couriers  for 
travellers,  had  been  brought,  one  in  each  ship;  and 
both  of  them  were  intelligent  men.  The  Blanchita 
had  been  put  into  the  water  as  soon  as  the  anchors 
were  buried  in  the  mud ;  and  the  party  went  on 
shore  in  her,  to  the  great  disgust  of  the  boat-people. 

The  American  consul  came  on  board  with  the 
Chinese  officials ;  and  the  commander  took  him  into 
the  cabin  for  a  conference  in  regard  to  getting  to 
Pekin,  while  the  tourists  were  on  shore  with  the 
guides.  Mr.  Smithers  had  seen  the  steam-launch, 
and  the  question  was  whether  the  party  could  go 
up  Pekin  Kiver  in  her.  The  consul  could  see  no 
difficulty  in  the  way,  any  more  than  there  would 
be  in  the  ships'  barges.  He  thought  he  could  put 
them  in  the  way  of  making  the  trip  securely,  and 
they  went  on  shore  together  in  the  barge. 

Mr.  Smithers  knew  a  couple  of  high  officials  who 
were  going  to  the  capital  the  next  day,  and  the  com- 
mander was  introduced  to  them.  They  were  very 
polite,  and  both  of  them  spoke  English.  One  had 


344  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

been  educated  at  Yale  College  in  New  Haven.  They 
were  invited  to  go  with  the  party  to  Pekin  in  the 
Blanchita,  and  accepted.  The  arrangements  were 
completed  for  the  trip.  They  went  on  board  of 
the  Guardian-Mother,  and  were  treated  with  the 
most  distinguished  consideration,  shown  over  the 
ship,  and  invited  to  lunch. 

When  the  launch  came  off  with  the  party  at  noon, 
all  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  were  presented  to 
them  by  the  commander.  The  pacha,  the  rajah, 
and  the  princess  were  clothed  in  their  elegant  robes ; 
and  they  evidently  made  a  profound  impression. 
The  plan  for  the  journey  to  the  capital  was  an- 
nounced to  the  passengers,  and  they  could  not  help 
being  delighted  with  it.  Mr.  Sage  had  been  directed 
to  spread  himself  on  the  lunch,  and  he  did  so.  Mon- 
sieur Odervie  even  prepared  a  few  Chinese  dishes, 
the  art  of  doing  which  he  had  learned  from  a  native 
cook  in  Hong-Kong. 

In  the  afternoon  the  party  went  on  shore  again, 
under  the  escort  of  Mr.  Psi-ning  and  Mr.  Ying-chau, 
visiting  the  temple  in  which  the  treaties  had  been 
signed,  and  several  others,  and  then  walked  through 
the  street  of  "  Everlasting  Prosperity,"  as  the  Chinese 
gentlemen  explained  it.  The  prosperity  seemed  to 
consist  mainly  in  the  sale  of  eel-pies  with  baked 
potatoes,  the  former  kept  hot  at  a  small  charcoal 
fire.  Live  fish  in  shallow  bowls  with  a  little  water 
in  them  were  common,  and  cook-shops  for  more  elab- 
orate Chinese  dishes  were  abundant. 


THE   WALLS   AND   TEMPLES   OF   PEKIN       345 

Both  the  native  gentlemen  were  mandarans  of 
different  orders,  and  they  were  received  with  the 
most  profound  deference  by  the  common  people. 
The  tourists  saw  everything  in  the  town  that  was 
worth  seeing;  and  early  in  the  afternoon  they  re- 
turned to  the  Guardian-Mother,  where  the  consul 
and  the  native  gentlemen  were  to  dine.  The  latter 
were  invited  to  sleep  on  board  in  order  to  be  in 
readiness  for  an  early  start  the  next  day,  and  they 
had  ordered  their  baggage  to  be  sent  to  the  ship. 
Mr.  Psi-ning  said  he  had  telegraphed  to  an  official 
at  Tung-chow  to  have  conveyances  ready  for  the 
party  at  that  place,  which  was  as  far  as  the  boat 
could  go,  thirteen  miles  from  Pekin. 

Mr.  Smithers  was  exceedingly  kind,  and  did  far 
more  than  could  be  expected  of  a  consul.  The 
commander  expressed  his  obligations  to  him  in  the 
most  earnest  terms  for  all  he  had  done,  and  espe- 
cially for  introducing  the  distinguished  Chinese  gen- 
tlemen. The  dinner  was  the  most  elaborate  the 
steward  and  the  cook  could  provide,  and  it  was  one 
of  those  hilarious  affairs  which  have  several  times 
been  described  during  the  voyage.  In  the  evening 
there  were  Mrs.  Belgrave's  games,  music,  and  dan- 
cing with  the  assistance  of  the  Italian  band,  and 
finally  the  singing  of  the  Gospel  Hymns. 

The  Blanchita  was  prepared  for  her  voyage  as 
soon  as  she  came  off  from  the  shore,  coaled  for  the 
round  trip,  supplied  with  cooked  provisions,  though 
the  galley  was  available,  and  with  everything  that 


346  FOUR    YOUNG    EXPLORERS 

could  possibly  be  needed.  She  was  put  in  about 
the  same  trim  as  when  she  went  up  the  rivers  of 
Borneo.  Felipe  was  to  be  the  engineer,  Pitts  the 
cook,  and  four  sailors  were  detailed  for  deck-hands. 
The  excursion  had  been  arranged  for  five  days ;  and 
the  bags,  valises,  and  other  impedimenta  of  the 
voyagers,  were  on  deck  at  an  early  hour.  Breakfast 
was  ready  at  half -past  six ;  and  at  half -past  seven 
the  Blanchita  got  under  way  with  a  native  pilot  for 
the  river,  who  could  speak  pidgin  English. 

The  party  were  in  a  frolicsome  mood ;  and  they 
went  off  singing  a  song,  to  the  great  astonishment 
of  the  native  boat-people.  Mr.  Psi-ning  joined  with 
them;  for  he  had  learned  the  tunes  in  the  United 
States,  where  he  had  travelled  extensively.  Tien- 
tsin is  the  terminus  of  the  Grand  Canal  in  the 
north,  and  they  passed  through  a  small  portion  of 
it  into  the  river.  The  trip  was  through  a  low  coun- 
try. The  road  to  the  capital  was  in  sight,  and  they 
saw  various  vehicles  moving  upon  it.  The  first  that 
attracted  their  attention  was  one  of  the  barrows,  with 
a  native  between  the  handles,  supporting  them  with 
a  band  over  his  shoulders.  On  one  side  of  the  large 
wheel  was  a  passenger ;  and  behind  him  was  a  lofty 
sail,  like  those  depending  from  the  yards  of  a  ship, 
but  about  three  times  as  high  in  proportion  to  its 
width.  It  had  five  ribs  of  wood  in  it  below  the 
upper  yard  to  keep  it  spread  out.  The  boys  thought 
the  craft  would  be  inclined  to  heel  over  with  all  the 
cargo  on  the  starboard  side. 


THE   WALLS   AND   TEMPLES   OF    PEKIN       347 

They  saw  a  rickshaw  rigged  with  a  sail  in  this 
manner.  A  man  on  a  farm  was  working  with  an 
ordinary  wheelbarrow  sailing  in  this  way.  There 
were  no  end  of  men  riding  ponies,  or  in  the  two- 
wheeled  passenger-carts  having  a  cover  over  them 
which  extended  out  over  the  horse.  Farther  up 
they  observed  a  couple  of  coolies  irrigating  the  land 
with  a  machine  which  had  four  paddles  for  moving 
the  water,  with  four  more  each  side  of  the  stream, 
under  a  frame  to  which  two  men  were  holding  on, 
and  working  treadmill  fashion,  with  their  feet  on 
each  of  the  four  arms.  They  noticed  mixed  teams 
of  horses  and  bullocks,  such  as  one  sees  in  Naples. 
The  most  curious  was  a  mule-litter,  which  was  simply 
a  sedan  between  two  animals. 

Felipe  drove  the  launch  at  a  nine-knot  speed,  and 
at  half-past  three  in  the  afternoon  the  boat  arrived  at 
Tung-chow.  Contrary  to  their  expectation,  the  pas- 
sengers had  greatly  enjoyed  the  trip;  but  it  was  out 
of  their  own  hilarity  rather  than  their  surroundings. 
Pitts  had  arranged  the  lunch  in  a  very  tasty  manner 
on  the  tables  in  what  the  boys  had  called  the  fore 
and  after  cabins.  They  found  all  the  variety  of 
vehicles  they  had  seen  on  the  road,  and  in  three 
hours  they  came  to  the  great  gate  of  Pekin.  They 
were  conveyed  to  the  small  German  hotel,  which 
they  more  than  filled ;  and  other  lodgings  were  pro- 
vided for  some  of  the  gentlemen,  though  the  meals 
were  to  be  taken  at  the  public-house. 

The    Chinese    gentlemen    had  to   leave   them   to 


348  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

attend  to  their  own  affairs,  but  after  dinner  the 
professor  told  them  something  about  Pekin :  "  The 
city  is  in  about  the  same  latitude  as  New  York, 
and  the  climate  is  about  the  same.  It  is  situated 
on  a  sandy  plain,  and  the  suburbs  are  comparatively 
few.  The  town  consists  of  two  cities,  the  Manchu 
and  the  Chinese,  separated  by  a  wall ;  and  the  whole 
is  surrounded  by  high  walls,  with  towers  and  pagodas 
on  them,  as  you  have  already  seen.  The  Manchu 
wall  is  fifty  feet  high,  sixty  feet  wide  at  the  bottom, 
and  forty  at  the  top.  Without  the  cross-walls,  there 
are  twenty-one  miles  of  outer  wall,  enclosing  twenty- 
six  square  miles  of  ground. 

"There  are  sixteen  gates,  each  with  a  tower  a 
hundred  feet  high  on  it.  Your  first  impression 
must  have  been  that  Pekin  is  the  greatest  city  in 
the  world.  You  came  in  by  a  street  two  hundred 
feet  wide,  with  shops  on  each  side;  but  when  you 
have  seen  more  of  it,  you  will  find  dilapidation  and 
decay,  and  about  the  same  filth  you  have  observed 
in  other  Chinese  cities.  But  it  is  one  of  the  most 
ancient  cities  in  the  world,  for  this  or  another  city 
stood  here  twelve  hundred  years  before  Christ. 
Kublai,  a  grandson  of  Genghis  Khan,  the  great  con- 
queror of  the  Moguls,  made  Pekin  the  capital  of 
all  China.  When  the  Manchus  came  into  power  the 
city  was  all  ready  for  them,  and  for  a  time  they 
kept  it  in  repair ;  but  for  more  than  a  hundred 
years  it  has  been  going  to  ruin. 

"  The  Manchu,  or  inner  city,  is  divided  into  three 


THE   WALLS   AND   TEMPLES   OF   PEKIN       349 

parts,  the  largest  of  which  is  the  real  city.  In  the 
middle  of  it  are  two  walled  enclosures,  one  within 
the  other.  The  outer  one  seems  to  be  the  guard- 
room of  the  inner,  to  which  entrance  is  forbidden 
to  all  foreigners,  and  even  to  Manchus  and  Chinese 
not  connected  with  the  court.  This  last  is  called  the 
Purple  Forbidden  City,  two  and  a  quarter  miles 
around  it,  and  is  the  actual  imperial  residence.  It 
includes  the  palaces  of  the  emperor  and  empress 
and  other  members  of  the  family.  It  contains  other 
palaces  and  halls  of  reception. 

"  The  <  Hall  of  Grand  Harmony J  is  built  on  a 
terrace  twenty  feet  high,  and  is  of  marble,  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  feet  high.  Its  chief  apartment  is  two 
hundred  feet  long  by  ninety  wide,  and  contains  a 
throne  for  the  emperor,  who  holds  his  receptions 
here  on  New  Year's  Day,  his  birthday,  and  on  other 
great  occasions.  The  < Palace  of  Heavenly  Purity' 
is  where  the  monarch  meets  his  cabinet  at  dawn  for 
business ;  and  you  see  that  he  must  be  an  early  riser. 
Within  these  enclosures  are  temples,  parks,  an  arti- 
ficial lake  a  mile  long,  a  great  temple  in  which  the 
imperial  family  worship  their  ancestors,  and  many 
other  grand  palaces,  temples,  and  statues,  which  I 
have  not  time  to  mention. 

"  The  outer,  or  Chinese,  city,  is  thinly  populated, 
and  a  considerable  portion  of  it  is  under  cultivation. 
The  principal  streets  are  over  a  hundred  feet  wide; 
but  those  at  the  sides  of  them,  like  Canton  and  other 
cities,  are  nothing  but  lanes.  None  of  the  streets 


350  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

are  paved,  and  mud  and  dust  reign  supreme.  As 
with  other  Eastern  cities,  the  population  of  Pekin  is 
exaggerated ,  being  estimated  by  some  as  high  as  two 
millions;  but  Dr.  Legge  thought  it  was  less  than 
one  million. 

"The  charge  of  infanticide  seems  not  to  be  ap- 
plicable to  Pekin  or  the  surrounding  country,  and 
is  said  to  be  almost  unknown  there.  A  dead-cart 
passes  through  the  streets  at  early  morning  to  pick 
up  the  bodies  of  children  dying  from  ordinary  causes 
whose  parents  are  too  poor  to  bury  them.  There 
are  foundling  hospitals,  to  which  the  mothers  prefer 
to  take  their  female  children  rather  than  sacrifice 
them.  In  fact,  infanticide  is  said  to  be  known  only 
in  four  or  five  provinces.  I  have  nothing  more  to 
say,  and  I  leave  you  to  see  the  rest  for  yourselves," 
said  the  professor,  as  he  resumed  his  seat. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Psi-ning  presented  himself 
at  the  hotel,  before  which  were  gathered  vehicles 
enough  to  accommodate  the  entire  party.  The  rick- 
shaw had  recently  been  introduced  from  Japan,  and 
several  of  them  were  included  in  the  number ;  but 
the  carts  and  the  barrows  were  generally  preferred. 
The  company  selected  what  they  pleased.  Mr.  Psi- 
ning  led  the  way  through  the  principal  street,  and 
through  some  of  the  lanes;  but  the  scenes  in  them 
were  so  much  like  what  they  had  seen  in  three  other 
cities  that  the  novelty  of  them  had  worn  off.  The 
residences  of  the  ambassadors  of  foreign  countries 
were  pointed  out  to  them,  including  that  of  the  Hon. 


THE   WALLS   AND  TEMPLES   OF   PEKIN       351 

C.  Denby,  before  which  they  halted ;  and  the  Chinese 
gentleman  conducted  them  all  into  it,  where  they 
were  presented  in  due  form  to  His  Excellency,  who 
received  them  very  pleasantly. 

They  then  went  to  the  Temple  of  Heaven,  which 
was  quite  a  curious  building,  somewhat  in  pagoda 
style.  It  began  on  the  ground  at  a  round  structure, 
with  an  overhanging  roof.  The  second  story  was 
smaller,  with  the  same  kind  of  a  roof ;  and  the  third 
was  the  same,  but  with  a  roof  coming  to  a  point, 
like  a  cone.  It  was  almost  a  hundred  feet  high. 
The  tiles  were  of  blue  porcelain,  in  imitation  of  a 
clear  sky. 

In  the  afternoon  the  tourists  were  conveyed  to  the 
office  of  the  Board  of  Punishments,  and  Mr.  Psi- 
ning  explained  the  criminal  processes  and  sentences. 
The  latter  are  very  severe,  including  torture,  which 
makes  one  think  that  he  is  reading  Foxe's  "  Book  of 
Martyrs."  The  party  declined  to  witness  any  of  the 
punishments.  Some  culprits  are  treated  to  twenty 
or  more  blows- with  a  bamboo.  Men  suspected  are 
tortured  to  make  them  confess.  They  are  put  in 
all  sorts  of  painful  positions. 

Capital  punishment  is  inflicted  by  placing  the  vic- 
tim on  his  knees,  with  his  arms  bound  behind  him, 
and  his  head  is  severed  from  his  body  by  the  stroke 
of  a  heavy  knife  or  sword. 

The  next  day  the  mandarin  conducted  the  tourists 
to  the  gate  of  the  Forbidden  City;  for  he  had  ob- 
tained a  permit  for  the  admission  of  the  whole  of 


352  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

them  in  a  body.  The  professor  had  described  the 
principal  structures  within  the  enclosure ;  and  it  would 
be  only  a  repetition  to  report  what  the  mandarin 
said  of  them,  though  he  added  considerable  to  what 
had  come  from  the  books.  The  third  gateway  was 
especially  noted  as  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  Chinese 
architecture  the  party  had  seen. 

The  "  Abode  of  Heavenly  Calmness  "  was  the  no- 
blest, richest,  and  most  luxuriously  furnished  in  the 
great  palace ;  for  it  is  the  private  apartment  of  the 
emperor.  The  Great  Union  Saloon,  where  His  Im- 
perial Majesty  receives  the  high-class  mandarins,  was 
elegant  enough  for  any  royal  apartment. 

The  tourists  walked  about  among  the  Chinese 
glories  till  they  were  tired  out.  The  two  Cupids 
were  completely  "  blown ; "  and  when  they  found  a 
place,  they  seated  themselves,  and  let  the  rest  of  the 
company  finish  the  survey  of  the  Forbidden  City. 
The  palace  of  one  prince  of  the  imperial  house  was 
so  large  that  three  thousand  men  could  be  quartered 
in  the  out-buildings,  and  doubtless  as  many  more 
could  be  accommodated  in  the  main  structure.  The 
Cupids  were  picked  up  on  the  return ;  but  there  was 
more  to  be  seen,  and  they  went  to  the  beautiful  tem- 
ple of  Fo,  containing  a  gilded  bronze  statue  of  the 
god,  sixty  feet  high,  with  one  hundred  arms,  and 
Scott  remarked  that  he  was  like  a  big  man-of-war, 
well  armed. 

They  came  again  to  the  Temple  of  Heaven ;  but 
the  mandarin  had  not  obtained  a  permit,  which  was 


THE    WALLS    AND   TEMPLES    OF   PEKIN       353 

exceedingly  difficult  to  procure  in  recent  years.  Mr. 
Psi-ning  told  them  that  the  interior,  in  its  chief 
hall,  represented  the  heavens.  It  was  a  circular 
apartment  surrounded  by  twenty-two  pillars,  and 
everything  was  painted  sky-blue.  A  portion  of  this 
temple  is  the  "  Penitential  Eetreat "  of  the  emperor, 
where  he  keeps  three  days  of  fasting,  meditating 
over  his  own  sins  and  those  of  the  government,  pre- 
vious to  offering  up  his  sacrifice.  Connected  with 
the  temple  was  a  band  of  five  hundred  musicians, 
who  reside  there ;  but  the  commander  was  thank- 
ful that  the  party  were  not  compelled  to  listen  to 
their  performance. 

The  tourists  were  very  glad  to  get  back  to  the 
hotel  in  the  street  of  the  legations,  and  they  did  not 
go  out  again  that  day.  The  question  of  visiting  the 
Great  Wall  then  came  up  for  discussion.  Brother 
Avoirdupois  and  Brother  Adipose  Tissue  declared  in 
the  beginning  that  they  would  not  go ;  and  the  man- 
darin laughed  heartily  when  these  names  were  applied 
to  them,  and  still,  more  when  they  were  called  the 
Cupids. 

"  It  is  forty-five  miles  to  the  loop-wall  which  trav- 
ellers generally  visit  from  Pekin,"  said  Mr.  Psi-ning. 
"  You  would  have  to  go  in  mule-litters,  or  on  horse- 
back, or  by  the  carts  you  have  used;  and  it  would 
take  you  a  day  to  get  there,  and  as  long  to  return. 
Then  it  would  be  only  the  loop-wall,  and  not  the 
Great  Wall,  which  cannot  be  reached  without  going 
over  a  hundred  miles.  I  can  say  for  myself  that  I 


354  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

have  never  been  to  either,  just  as  I  heard  a  man  in 
Boston  say  that  he  had  lived  there  over  sixty  years, 
and  had  never  been  to  Bunker  Hill  Monument." 

"  The  wall  is  an  old  story  to  you,  I  suppose,"  said 
the  princess. 

"  You  have  seen  the  walls  of  Pekin,  and  they  are 
a  good  specimen  of  the  Great  Wall ;  at  any  rate, 
they  satisfied  me,"  replied  the  mandarin. 

But  the  "  Big  Four "  and  Professor  Giroud  decided 
to  visit  the  loop-wall,  and  the  Chinese  gentleman  ad- 
vised them  to  start  immediately  after  lunch.  One 
of  the  guides,  who  had  been  there  several  times  be- 
fore, was  to  accompany  them,  and  was  sure  they 
could  reach  their  destination  by  sunset;  and  they 
started  as  soon  as  they  had  lunched.  Mr.  Psi  pro- 
cured for  them  six  fine  horses  and  a  mule-litter. 
The  road  was  paved  with  solid  granite  slabs,  ten 
feet  long,  all  the  way. 

The  attentive  mandarin  kept  the  rest  of  the  tour- 
ists very  busy  the  next  two  days ;  and  they  visited 
everything  that  was  worth  seeing  in  the  capital,  and 
they  dined  with  him  one  day  in  his  palace.  The 
party  from  the  wall  returned  before  night  the  next 
day,  and  said  they  had  had  a  good  time,  though  the 
wall  did  not  amount  to  much  more  than  that  seen 
at  Pekin. 

"  I  have  a  government  mission  in  Tokyo  next  week, 
and  I  have  to  go  to  Japan,"  said  Mr.  Psi-ning,  while 
they  were  dining  together  at  the  German  Hotel.  "  I 
shall  probably  meet  you  there." 


THE    WALLS   AND   TEMPLES    OF   PEKlN       355 

"  If  yon  are  going  to  Japan,  permit  me  to  offer 
you  a  stateroom  on  board  of  the  Guardian-Mother," 
interposed  the  commander  eagerly.  "You  are  prac- 
tically an  American  after  a  five  years'  residence  in 
the  United  States,  and  are  familiar  with  our  way 
of  living ;  though  I  will  add  that  Monsieur  Odervie, 
our  French  cook,  has  learned  to  make  a  few  Chinese 
dishes,  and  we  will  endeavor  to  make  you  comfort- 
able." 

"Your  living  will  suit  me  perfectly,  for  I  am 
used  to  it ;  and  having  dined  with  you  on  board, 
I  know  that  your  bill  of  fare  is  better  than  any 
hotel  in  the  States.  But  when  do  you  sail  ?  " 

"  Whenever  you  are  ready,  my  dear  sir." 

"  I  have  to  spend  a  day  in  Tien-tsin,  and  then 
I  was  to  take  a  steamer  to  Shang-hai,  and  thence 
a  P.'&  0.  to  Yokohama." 

"But  that  is  out  of  the  way;  and  we  go  direct 
to  Yokohama,  or  we  will  go  there  first  if  you  honor 
us  with  your  company,"  said  the  captain,  glancing  at 
General  Noury.  *" 

"  By  all  means  ! "  exclaimed  the  pacha.  "  Mrs. 
Noury  and  myself  will  be  delighted  to  have  you  with 
us,  Mr.  Psi-ning." 

"  Then  I  shall  be  too  happy  to  accept  your  cordial 
invitation,"  replied  the  mandarin.  That  matter  was 
settled ;  and  the  new  passenger  went  to  his  palace 
to  prepare  for  his  journey,  though  he  did  not  forget 
to  send  one  of  his  people  to  Tung-chow  to  arrange 
for  the  reception  of  the  party  the  next  day. 


356  FOUR   YOUNG   EXPLORERS 

The  horses  the  young  men  rode,  the  mule-litters, 
wheelbarrows,  and  jinrikishas  were  at  the  door  of 
the  hotel  early  in  the  morning;  and  the  mandarin, 
with  his  valet,  were  on  time.  The  company  reached 
Tung-chow  before  noon;  and  a  Chinese  lunch  was 
ready  for  them,  ordered  by  the  new  passenger.  The 
Blanchita  was  all  ready  for  them  to  step  on  board 
when  they  had  partaken  of  roast  goose,  duck,  and 
chicken  at  the  inn.  The  passage  down  the  river 
was  a  frolic  all  the  way,  and  the  guest  told  them 
more  about  China  than  they  had  learned  before  in 
regard  to  matters  not  generally  known. 

Felipe  hurried  the  steamer,  and  she  was  alongside 
the  Guardian-Mother  before  five  in  the  afternoon. 
Mr.  Psi-ning  had  several  pieces  of  baggage,  including 
despatch-bags,  which  were  placed  in  the  finest  state- 
room on  board.  The  commander  had  telegraphed  for 
dinner  at  the  usual  hour.  Mr.  Smithers  came  on 
board  before  it  was  ready,  and  was  invited  to  join 
the  company.  From  him  they  learned  that  Mr. 
Psi-ning  was  in  the  diplomatic  service  of  the  gov- 
ernment, and  that  he  would  be  of  great  assistance  to 
them  in  Japan. 

The  ships  had  to  wait  only  one  day  for  him; 
and  on  Wednesday,  May  10,  at  six  in  the  morning, 
they  sailed  for  Tokyo,  though  the  commander's 
original  intention  had  been  to  go  first  to  Nagasaki. 
The  Blanche's  party  went  on  board  of  the  Guardian- 
Mother  before  she  sailed,  with  the  Italian  band. 
They  played  to  the  great  delight  of  the  boatmen 


THE   WALLS   AND    TEMPLES   OJT    PEKIN       357 

around  the  ship,  as  well  as  of  those  on  board.  The 
consul  went  to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  took  a  tug 
home.  It  was  a  frolic  all  day  and  till  midnight, 
when  the  Blanche's  passengers  returned  to  her. 

It  was  a  smooth  sea  all  the  four  days  of  the  voy- 
age, even  on  the  Pacific  shores;  and  the  Guardian- 
Mother's  people  spent  the  next  day  on  board  of  the 
consort.  On  the  third  day  there  was  a  lecture  on 
Japan  in  Conference  Hall,  given  by  Mr.  Psi-ning,  who 
was  as  familiar  with  that  country  as  with  China. 
But  his  discourse  must  be  reported  in  another  vol- 
ume. 

Those  who  are  disposed  to  follow  the  tourists 
through  Japan,  and  then  on  their  long  voyage  of  two 
thousand  miles  to  Australia,  New  Zealand,  and  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  will  be  enabled  to  do  so  in  "  PACIFIC 
SHORES  ;  OR,  ADVENTURES  IN  EASTERN  SEAS." 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS 


ALL-OVER-THE-IORLD  LIBRARY 


Illustrated    Per  Volume  •!.  25 


FIRST   SERIES 

A  MISSING  MILLION  or  the  Adventures  of  Louis  Belgrave 
A  MILLIONAIRE  AT  SIXTEEN  or  The  Cruise  of  the  Guardian  Mother 
A  YOUNG  KNIGHT  ERRANT  or  Cruising  in  the  West  Indies 
STRANGE  SIGHTS  ABROAD  or  A  Voyage  in  European  Waters 


SECOND  SERIES 

THE  AMERICAN  BOYS  AFLOAT  or  Cruising  in  the  Orient 
THE  YOUNG  NAVIGATORS  or  The  Foreign  Cruise  of  the  Maud 
UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE  or  Young  Adventurers  in  Africa 
ASIATIC  BREEZES  or  Students  on  the  Wing  (in  press) 


THIRD  SERIES 

ACROSS  INDIA  or  Live  Boys  in  the  Far  East 
HALF  ROUND  THE  WORLD  or  Among  the  Uncivilized 
FOUR  YOUNG  EXPLORERS  or  Sight-Seeing  in  the  Tropics 
PACIFIC  SHORES  or  Adventures  in  Eastern  Seas 


"  The  bare  announcement  of  a  new  series  of  books  by  Oliver  Optic 
will  delight  boys  all  over  the  country.  When  they  further  learn  that  their 
favorite  author  proposes  to  '  personally  conduct '  his  army  of  readers  on 
a  grand  tour  of  the  world,  there  will  be  a  terrible  scramble  for  excursion 
tickets  —that  is,  the  opening  volume  of  the  '  Globe  Trotting  Series.'  Of 
one  thing  the  boys  may  be  dead  sure  :  it  will  be  no  tame,  humdrum  jour, 
ney;  for  Oliver  Optic  does  not  believe  that  fun  and  excitement  are  in- 
jurious  to  boys,  but,  on  the  contrary,  if  of  the  right  kind,  he  thinks  it 
does  them  good." —  Current  Review. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD  Publishers  Boston 


OLIVER  OPTIC'S  BOOKS 


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volumes.  Illustrated.  Beautiful  binding  in  blue  and  gray, 
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2.  "Within  the  Enemy's  Lines.          5.    Fighting  for  the  Right. 

3.  On  the  Blockade.  6.    A  Victorious  Union. 

The  Blue  and  the  Gray  — on  Land. 

1.    Brother  against  Brother.  2.    In  the  Saddle. 

3.    A  Lieutenant  at  Eighteen. 

(  Other  volumes  in  preparation. ; 

"  There  never  has  been  a  more  interesting  writer  in  the  field  of  juvenile 
literature  than  Mr.  W.  T.  ADAMS,  who,  under  his  well-known  pseudonym,  is 
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who  have  .long  since  passed  the  boundaries  of  youth,  yet  who  remember  with 


>ing  style  < 

series  is  as  bright  and  entertaining  as  any  work  that  Mr.  ADAMS  has  yet  put 
forth,  and  will  be  as  eagerly  perused  as  any  that  has  borne  his  name.  It  would 
not  be  fair  to  the  prospective  reader  to  deprive  him  of  the  zest  which  comes 
from  the  unexpected  by  entering  into  a  synopsis  of  the  story.  A  word,  how- 
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which  makes  it  a  most  attractive  volume.'*  —  Boston  Budget. 

Woodville  Stories.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC.  Six  volumes.  Illus- 
trated. Any  volume  sold  separately.  Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.  Rich  and  Humble;  OR,  THE  MISSION  OF  BERTHA  GRANT. 

2.  In  School  and  Out;  OR,  THE  CONQUEST  OF  RICHARD  GRANT. 

3.  "Watch  and  Wait;  OR,  THE  YOUNG  FUGITIVES. 

4.  Work  and  Win;  OR,  NODDY  NEWMAN  ON  A  CRUISE. 

5.  Hope  and  Have;  OR,  FANNY  GRANT  AMONG  THE  INDIANS 

6.  Haste  and  Waste;  OR,  THE  YOUNG  PILOT  OF  LAKE  CHAMPLAIK. 
"  Though  we  are  not  so  young  as  we  once  were,  we  relished  these  stories 

almost  as  much  as  the  boys  and  girls  for  whom  they  were  written.  They  we-  e 
really  refreshing,  even  to  us.  There  is  much  in  them  which  is  calculated.  »o 
inspire  a  generous,  healthy  ambition,  and  to  make  distasteful  all  reading  tend- 
ing to  stimulate  base  desires."  —  Fitchburg  Reveille. 

The  Starry  Flag"  Series.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC.  In  six  volumes. 
Illustrated.  Any  volume  sold  separately.  Price  per  volume, 
$1.25. 

1.  The  Starry  Flag;  OR,  THE  YOUNG  FISHERMAN  OF  CAPE  ANN. 

2.  Breaking  Away;  OR,  THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  STUDENT. 

3.  Seek  and  Find;  OR,  THE  ADVENTURES  OF  A  SMART  BOY. 

4.  Freaks  of  Fortune;  OR,  HALF  ROUND  THE  WORLD. 

5.  Make  or  Break;  OR,  THE  RICH  MAN'S  DAUGHTER. 

6.  Down  the  River;  OR,  BUCK  BRADFORD  AND  THE  TYRANTS. 

"  Mr.  ADAMS,  the  celebrated  and  popular  writer,  familiarly  known  as  OLIVES 
OPTIC,  seems  to  have  inexhaustible  funds  for  weaving  together  the  virtues  of 
life;  and,  notwithstanding  he  has  written  scores  of  books,  the  same  freshness 
and  novelty  run  through  them  all.  Some  people  think  the  sensational  element 
predominates.  Perhaps  it  does.  But  a  book  fbr  young  people  needs  this,  and 
so  long  as  good  sentiments  are  inculcated  such  books  ought  to  be  read." 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREE. 


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All-Over-the-World   Library.     By   OLIVER    OPTIC.     First 

benes.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 
2*    t  wnr  nff  M.illioii;  OR  THE  ADVENTURES  OF  Louis  BELGRAVE. 
nnaire         SlxfceenJ  °R»  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  GUARDIAN 


3.  A  _  Young  Knight  Errant;  OR,  CRUISING  IN  THE  WEST  INDIES. 

4.  Sstrange  Sights  Abroad  ;  OR,  ADVENTURES  IN  EUROPEAN  WATERS. 

All-Over-the-  World  Library.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC.  Second 
Series.  Illustrated.  Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.  American  Boys  Afloat;  OR,  CRUISING  IN  THE  ORIENT 

2.  The  Young  Navigators;  OR,  THE  FOREIGN  CRUISE  OF  THE  «  MAUD  " 

3.  Up  and  Down  the  Nile;  OR,  YOUNG  ADVENTURERS  IN  AFRICA. 

4.  Asiatic  Breezes;  OR,  STUDENTS  ON  THE  WING. 

All-Over-the-  World  Library.     By  OLIVER  OPTIC.     Third 

Series.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.  Across  India;  OR,  LIVE  BOYS  IN  THE  FAR  EAST. 

2.  Half  Round  the  World;  OR,  A  MONO  THE  UNCIVILIZED. 

J.    Four  Young  Explorers;  OR,  SIGHT-SEEING  IN  THE  TROPICS. 

(Other  volumes  in  preparation.) 

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trated by  NAST  and  others.  First  Series.  Six  volumes. 
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2.  Shamrock  and  Thistle;    OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  IRELAND  AND 

SCOTLAND. 

3.  Red  Cross;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  ENGLAND  AND  WALES. 

4.  Dikes    and    Ditches;    OR,    YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    HOLLAND    AND 

BELGIUM. 

5.  Palace    and   Cottage;    OR,    YOUNG    AMERICA    IN    FRANCE    AND 

SWITZERLAND. 

6.  Down  the  Rhine;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  GERMANY. 

"Tne  story  from  its  inception,  and  through  the  twelve  volumes  (see  Second 
Series),  is  a  be.vitching  one,  while  the  information  imparted  concerning-  the 
countries  of  Europe  and  the  isles  of  the  sea  is  not  only  correct  in  every  particu- 
lar, but  is  told  in  a  captivating  style.  OLIVER  OPTIC  will  continue  to  be  the 
boys'  friend,  and  his  pleasant  books  will  continue  to  be  read  by  thousands  of 
American  boys.  What  a  fine  holiday  present  either  or  both  series  of  '  Young- 
America  Abroad  '  weuld  be  for  a  young-  friend  !  It  would  make  a  little  library 
highly  prized  by  the  recipient,  and  woufd  not  be  an  expensive  one."  —  Provi- 
dence Press. 

Young"  America  Abroad.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC.  Second  Series. 
Six  volumes.  Illustrated.  Any  volume  sold  separately. 
Price  per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.  Up  the  Baltic;   OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  NORWAY,  SWEDEN,  AND 

DENMARK. 

2.  Northern  Lands;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  RUSSIA  AND  PRUSSIA. 

3.  Cross  and  Crescent;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  TURKEY  AND  GREECE. 

4.  Sunny  Shores;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  ITALY  AND  AUSTRIA. 

6.  Vine  and  Olive;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  IN  SPAIN  AND  PORTUGAL. 
6.  Isles  of  the  Sea;  OR,  YOUNG  AMERICA  HOMEWARD  BOUND. 

"  OLIVER  OPTIC  is  a  nom  deplume  that  is  known  and  loved  by  almost  every 
boy  of  intelligence  in  the  land.  We  have  seen  a  highly  intellectual  and  world- 
weary  man,  a  cynic  whose  heart  was  somewhat  embittered  by  its  large  experi- 
ence of  human  nature,  take  up  one  of  OLIVER  OPTIC'S  books,  and  read  it  at  a 
sitting,  neglecting  his  work  in  yielding  to  the  fascination  of  the  pages.  When 
a  mature  and  exceedingly  well-informed  mind,  long  despoiled  of  all  its  fresh- 
ness, can  thus  find  pleasure  in  a  book  for  boys,  no  additional  words  of  recora 
mendation  are  needed."  —  Sunday  Times. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREE. 


OLIVER  OPTIC'S  BOOKS 


The  Great  Western  Series.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC.  In  six  vol- 
umes. Illustrated.  Any  volume  sold  separately.  Price  per 
volume,  $1.25. 

1.  Going  West;  OR,  THE  PERILS  OF  A  POOR  BOY. 

2.  Out  West;  OR,  ROUGHING  IT  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

3.  Lake  Breezes;  OR,  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  SYLVANIA. 

4.  Going  South;  OR,  YACHTING  ON  THE  ATLANTIC  COAST. 
6.  Down  South;  OR,  YACHT  ADVENTURES  IN  FLORIDA. 

6.  Up  the  River;  OR,  YACHTING  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI. 

"  This  is  the  latest  series  of  books  issued  by  this  popular  writer,  and  deah 
with  life  on  the  Great  Lakes,  for  which  a  careful  study  was  made  by  the  author 
in  a  summer  tour  of  the  immense  water  sources  of  America.  The  story,  which 
carries  the  same  hero  through  the  six  books  of  the  series,  is  always  entertain- 
ing, novel  scenes  and  varied  incidents  giving-  a  constantly  changing  yet  always 
attractive  aspect  to  the  narrative.  OLIVER  OPTIC  has  written  nothing  better." 

The  Yacht  Club  Series.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC.  In  six  volumes. 
Illustrated.  Any  volume  sold  separately.  Price  per  volume, 
$1.25. 

1.  Little  Bobtail;  OR,  THE  WRECK  OF  THE  PENOBSCOT. 

2.  The  Yacht  Club;  OR,  THE  YOUNG  BOAT  BUILDERS. 

3.  Money-Maker ;  OR,  THE  VICTORY  OF  THE  BASILISK. 

4.  The  Coining  Wave;  OR,  THE  TREASURE  OF  HIGH  ROCK, 

5.  The  Dorcas  Club;  OR,  OUR  GIRLS  AFLOAT. 

6.  Ocean  Born;  OR,  THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  CLUBS. 

"  The  series  has  this  peculiarity,  that  all  of  its  constituent  volumes  are  inde- 


for  he  makes  very  interesting  stories,  and  inculcates  none  but  the  best  senti- 
ments, and  the  'Yacht  Club*  is  no  exception  to  this  rule."  —  New  Haven 
Journal  and  Courier. 

Onward  and  Upward  Series.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC.  In  six 
volumes.  Illustrated.  Any  volume  sold  separately.  Price 
per  volume,  $1.25. 

1.  Field  and  Forest;  OR,  THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  FARMER. 

2.  Plane  and  Plank;  OR,  THE  MISHAPS  OF  A  MECHANIC. 

3.  Desk  and  Debit;  OR,  THE  CATASTROPHES  OF  A  CLERK. 

4.  Cringle  and  Crosstree;  OR,  THE  SEA  SWASHES  OF  A  SAILOR. 

5.  Bivouac  and  Battle;  OR,  THE  STRUGGLES  OF  A  SOLDIER. 

6.  Sea  and  Shore;  OR,  THE  TRAMPS  OF  A  TRAVELLER. 

"  Paul  Farringford,  the  hero  of  these  tales,  is,  like  most  of  this  author's 
heroes,  a  young  man  of  high  spirit,  and  of  high  aims  and  correct  principles, 
appearing  in  the  different  volumes  as  a  fanner,  a  captain,  a  bookkeeper,  a 
soldier,  a  sailor,  and  a  traveller.  In  all  of  them  the  hero  meets  with  very 
exciting  adventures,  told  in  the  graphic  style  for  which  the  author  is  famous." 

The  Liake  Shore  Series.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC.  In  six  volumes. 
Illustrated.  Any  volume  sold  separately.  Price  per  volume, 
$1.25. 

1.  Through  by  Daylight;  OR,  THE  YOUNG  ENGINEER  OF  THE  LAKE 

SHORE  RAILROAD. 

2.  Liightning  Express;  OR,  THE  RIVAL  ACADEMIES. 

3.  On  Time;  OR,  THE  YOUNG  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  UCAYGA  STEAMER. 

4.  Switch  Off;  OR,  THE  WAR  OF  THE  STUDENTS. 

5.  Brake  Up;  OR,  THE  YOUNG  PEACEMAKERS. 

6.  Bear  and  Forbear;  OR,  THE  YOUNG  SKIPPER  OF  LAKE  UCAYGA. 

"  OLIVER  OPTIC  is  one  of  the  most  fascinating  writers  for  youth,  and  withal 
one  of  the  best  to  be  found  in  this  or  any  past  age.  Troops  of  young  people 
hang  over  his  vivid  pages ;  and  not  one  of  them  ever  learned  to  be  mean,  ignoble, 
cowardly,  selfish,  or  to  yield  to  any  vice  from  anything  they  ever  read  from  his 
pen."  —  Providence  Press. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREE. 


OLIVER  OPTIC'S  BOOKS 


Army  and  Navy  Stories.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC.  Six  volumes. 
Illustrated.  Any  volume  sold  separately.  Price  per  volume, 

$1.25. 

1.  The  Soldier  Boy;  OR,  TOM  SOMERS  IN  THE  ARMY. 

2.  The  Sailor  Boy;  OR,  JACK  SOMERS  IN  THE  NAVY. 

3.  The  Young  Lieutenant;  OR,  ADVENTURES  OF  AN  ARMY  OFFICER. 

4.  The  Yankee  Middy;  OR,  ADVENTURES  OF  A  NAVY  OFFICER. 

5.  Fighting  Joe;  OR,  THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  STAFF  OFFICER. 

6.  Brave  Old  Salt;  OR,  LIFE  ON  THE  QUARTER  DECK. 

"  This  series  of  six  volumes  recounts  the  adventures  of  two  brothers,  Tom 
and  Jack  Somers,  one  in  the  army,  the  other  in  the  navy,  in  the  great  Civil  War. 
The  romantic  narratives  of  the  fortunes  and  exploits  of  the  brothers  are  thrill- 
ing- in  the  extreme.  Historical  accuracy  in  the  recital  of  the  great  events  of 
that  period  is  strictly  followed,  and  the  result  is,  not  only  a  library  of  entertain- 
ing volumes,  but  also  the  best  history  of  the  Civil  War  for  young  people  ever 
written." 

Boat  Builders  Series.    By  OLIVER  OPTIC.    In  six  volumes. 

Illustrated.     Any  volume  sold  separately.     Price  per  volume, 

$1.25. 

1.  All  Adrift;  OR,  THE  GOLDWING  CLUB. 
52.   Snug  Harbor;  OR,  THE  CHAMPLAIN  MECHANICS. 

3.  Square  and  Compasses;  OR,  BUILDING  THE  HOUSE. 

4.  Stem  to  Stern;  OR,  BUILDING  THE  BOAT. 
6.  All  Taut;  OR,  RIGGING  THE  BOAT. 

6.  Ready  About;  OR,  SAILING  THE  BOAT. 

"  The  series  includes  in  six  successive  volumes  the  whole  art  of  boat  building, 
boat  rigging,  boat  managing,  and  practical  hints  to  make  the  ownership  ofa 
boat  pay.  A  great  deal  of  useful  information  is  given  in  this  Boat  Builders 
Series,  and  in  ^ach  book  a  very  interesting  story  is  interwoven  with  the  infor- 
mation. Every  reader  will  be  interested  at  once  in  Dory,  the  hero  of  'All 
Adrift,'  and  one  of  the  characters  retained  in  the  subsequent  volumes  of  the 
series.  His  friends  will  not  want  to  lose  sight  of  him,  and  every  boy  who 
makes  his  acquaintance  in  '  All  Adrift '  will  become  his  friend." 

Riverdale  Story  Books.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC.  Twelve  vol- 
umes. Illustrated.  Illuminated  covers.  Price:  cloth,  per 
set,  $3.60;  per  volume,  30  cents;  paper,  per  set,  $2.00. 

1.  Little  Merchant.  7.    Proud  and  Lazy. 

2.  Young  Voyagers.  8.    Careless  Kate. 

3.  Christmas  Gift.  9.    Robinson  Crusoe,  Jr. 

4.  Dolly  and.  I.  1O.    The  Picnic  Party. 

5.  Uncle  Ben.  11.    The  Gold  Thimble. 

6.  Birthday  Party.  12.    The  Do-Somethings. 

Riverdale  Story  Books.    By  OLIVER  OPTIC.    Six  volumes. 

Illustrated.     Fancy  cloth  and  colors.     Price  per  volume,  30 

cents. 

1.    Little  Merchant.  4.    Careless  Kate. 

«.    Proud  and  Lazy.  5.    Dolly  and  I. 

JJ.    Young  Voyagers.  6.     Robinson  Crusoe,  Jr. 

Flora  Lee  Library.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC.  Six  volumes.  Illus- 
trated. Fancy  cloth  and  colors.  Price  per  volume,  30 
cents. 

1.  The  Picnic  Party.  4.    Christmas  Gift. 

2.  The  Gold  Thimble.  5.    Uncle  Ben. 

3.  The  Do- Somethings.  6.    Birthday  Party. 

These  are  bright  short  stories  for  younger  children  who  are  unable  to  com- 
prehend the  Starry  Flag  Series  or  the  Army  and  Navy  Series.  But  they 
all  display  the  author's  talent  for  pleasing  and  interesting  the  little  folks.  They 
»re  all  fresh  and  original,  preaching  no  sermons,  but  inculcating  good  lessons. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FRFF 


OLIVER  OPTIC'S  BOOK? 


The  Way  of  the  World.  By  OLIVER  OPTIC,  illustrated. 
$1.50. 

"One  of  the  most  interesting  American  novels  we  have  ever  read."  —  Phila- 
delphia City  Item. 

"This  story  treats  of  a  fortune  of  three  million  dollars  left  a  youthful  heir. 
The  volume  bears  evidence  in  every  chapter  of  the  fresh,  original,  and  fascinat- 
ing style  which  has  always  enlivened  Mr.  ADAMS'  productions.  We  have  the 
same  felicitous  manner  of  working  out  the  plot  by  conversation,  the  same 
quaint  wit  and  humor,  and  a  class  of  characters  which  stand  out  boldly,  peu 
photographs  of  living  beings. 

"  The  book  furnishes  a  most  romantic  and  withal  a  most  instructive  illustra- 
tion of  the  way  of  the  world  in  its  false  estimate  of  money." 

Living"  too  Fast ;  OR,  THE  CONFESSIONS  OF  A  BANK  OFFICER. 

By  OLIVER  OPTIC.     Illustrated.     $1.50. 

This  story  records  the  experience  of  a  bank  officer  in  the  downward  career  of 
crime.  The  career  ought,  perhaps,  to  have  ended  in  the  State's  prison;  but 
the  author  chose  to  represent  the  defaulter  as  sharply  punished  in  another  way. 
The  book  contains  a  most  valuable  lesson;  and  shows,  in  another  leading 
character,  the  true  life  which  a' young  business  man  ought  to  lead. 

In  Doors  and  Out ;  OR,  VIEWS  FROM  A  CHIMNEY  CORNER.  By 
OLIVER  OPTIC.  Illustrated.  $1.50. 

"  Many  who  have  not  time  and  patience  to  wade  through  a  long  story  will 
find  here  many  pithy  and  sprightly  tales,  each  sharply  hitting  some  social 
absurdity  or  social  vice.  We  recommend  the  book  heartily  after  having  read 
the  three  chapters  on  'Taking  a  Newspaper."  If  all  the  rest  are  as  sensible 
and  interesting  as  these,  and  doubtless  they  are,  the  book  is  well  worthy  of 
patronage." — Vermont  Record. 

"As  a  writer  of  domestic  stories,  Mr.  WILLIAM  T.ADAMS  (OLIVER  OPTIC) 
made  his  mark  even  before  he  became  so  immensely  popular  through  his 
splendid  books  for  the  young.  In  the  volume  before  us  are  given  several  of 
these  tales,  and  they  comprise  a  book  which  will  give  them  a  popularity  greater 
than  they  have  ever  before  enjoyed.  They  are  written  in  a  spirited  style, 
impart  valuable  practical  lessons,  and  are  of  the  most  lively  interest." — Boston 
Home  Journal. 

Our  Standard  Bearer.  A  Life  of  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant.  By 
OLIVER  OPTIC.  Illustrated  by  THOMAS  NAST.  Illuminated 
covers,  $1.50. 

It  has  long  been  out  of  print,  but  now  comes  out  in  a  new  edition,  with  * 
narrative  of  the  civil  career  of  the  General  as  President  for  two  terms,  his 
remarkable  journey  abroad,  his  life  in  New  York,  and  his  sickness,  death,  and 
burial.  Perhaps  the  reader  will  remember  that  the  narrative  is  told  by 
"  Captain  Galligasken  "  after  a  style  that  is  certainly  not  common  or  tiresome, 
but,  rather,  in  a  direct,  simple,  picturesque,  and  inspiring  way  that  wins  the 
heart  of  the  young  reader.  For  the  boy  who  wants  to  read  the  life  of  General 
Grant,  this  book  is  the  best  that  has  been  published,  — perhaps  the  only  one 
that  is  worth  any  consideration. 

Just  His  Luck.    By  OLIVER  OPTIC.    Illustrated.     $1.00. 

«« It  deals  with  real  flesh  and  blood  boys;  with  boys  who  possess  many  noble 
qualities  of  mind;  with  boys  of  generous  impulses  and  large  hearts;  with  boys 
who  delight  in  playing  pranks,  and  who  are  ever  ready  for  any  sort  of  mischief; 
and  with  boys  in  whom  human  nature  is  strongly  engrafted.  They  are  boys, 
as  many  of  us  have  been;  boys  in  the  true,  unvarnished  sense  of  the  word; 
boys  with  hopes,  ideas,  and  inspirations,  but  lacking  in  judgment,  self-control, 
and  discipline.  And  the  book  contains  an  appropriate  moral,  teaches  many  a 
lesson,  and  presents  many  a  precept  worthy  of  being  followed.  It  is  a  capital 
book  for  boys." 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREE. 


LEE  AND  SHBVARD'S  ILLUSTRATED   JUVENILES 


J.   T.   TROWBRIDGE'S  BOOKS 


THE  START  IN  LIFE  SERIES.    4  volumes. 

A  Start  in  L/ife :  A  STORY  OF  THE  GENESEE  COUNTRY.    By 
J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.     Illustrated.     $1.00. 

In  this  story  the  author  recounts  the  hardships  of  a  young  lad  in  his  first 
endeavor  to  start  out  for  himself.  It  is  a  tale  that  is  full  of  enthusiasm  and 
budding  hopes.  The  writer  shows  how  hard  the  youths  of  a  century  ago  were 
compelled  to  work.  This  he  does  in  an  entertaining  way,  mingling  fun  and 
adventures  with  their  daily  labors.  The  hero  is  a  strik'ing  example  of  the 
honest  boy,  who  is  not  too  lazy  to  work,  nor  too  dull  to  thoroughly  appreciate 
a  joke. 

Biding  His  Time.    By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Illustrated.    $1.00. 

"  It  is  full  of  spirit  and  adventure,  and  presents  a  plucky  hero  who  was  willing 
to  '  bide  his  time,'  no  matter  how  great  the  expectations  that  he  indulged  in 
from  his  uncle's  vast  wealth,  which  he  did  not  in  the  least  covet.  .  .  .  He  was 
left  a  poor  orphan  in  Ohio  at  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  soon  after  heard  of  a 
rich  uncle,  "who  lijjed  near  Boston.  He  sets  off  on  the  long  journey  to  Boston, 
finds  his  uncle,  an  eccentric  old  man,  is  hospitably  received  by  him,  but  seeks 
employment  in  a  humble  way,  and  proves  that  he  is  a  persevering  and  plucky 
young  man."  —  Boston  Home  Journal. 

The  Kelp  Gatherers:  A  STORY  OF  THE  MAINE  COAST.    By 
J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.     Illustrated.     $1.00. 

This  book  is  full  of  interesting  information  upon  the  plant  life  of  the  sea- 
shore, and  the  life  of  marine  animals ;  but  it  is  also  a  bright  and  readable 
story,  with  all  the  hints  of  character  and  the  vicissitudes  of  human  life,  in 
depicting  which  the  author  is  an  acknowledged  master. 

The    Scarlet    Tanager,    AND    OTHER    BIPEDS.     By  J.    T. 
TROWBRIDGE.     Illustrated.     $1.00. 


Sl\ 

tales.  One  of  his  grer 
depict  little  saints,  or  incorrigible  rascu's,  but  just  boys.  This  same  fidelity  to 
nature  is  seen  in  his  latest  book,  "The  Scarlet  Tanager,  and  Other  Bipeds." 
There  is  enough  adventure  in  this  tale  to  commend  it  to  the  liveliest  reader, 
and  all  the  lessons  it  teaches  are  wholesome. 

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J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE'S  BOOKS 


THE  SILVER  MEDAL   STORIES.    6  volumes. 

The  Silver  Medal,  AND   OTHER  STORIES.      By  J.   T.   TROW- 

BRIDGE.     Illustrated.     $1.25. 

There  were  some  schoolboys  who  had  turned  housebreakers,  and  among  their 
plunder  was  a  silver  medal  that  had  been  given  to  one  John  Harrison  by  the 
Humane  Society  for  rescuing  from  drowning  a  certain  Benton  Barry.  Now 
Benton  Barry  was  one  of  the  wretched  housebreakers.  This  is  the  summary 
of  the  opening  chapter.  The  story  is  intensely  interesting  in  its  serious  as 
well  as  its  humorous  parts. 

His  Own  Master.    ByJ.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Illustrated.    $1.25. 

"  This  is  a  book  after  the  typical  boy's  own  heart.  Its  hero  is  a  plucky  young 
fellow,  who,  seeing  no  chance  for  himself  at  home,  determines  to  make  his  own 
way  in  the  world.  .  .  .  He  sets  out  accordingly,  trudges  to  the  far  West,  and 
finds  the  road  to  fortune  an  unpleasantly  rough  one."  —  Philadelphia  Inquirer. 

"  We  class  this  as  one  of  the  best  stories  for  boys  we  ever  read.  The  tone  is 
perfectly  healthy,  and  the  interest  is  kept  up  to  the  end."  —  Boston  Home 
Journal. 

Bound  in  Honor.    ByJ.  T.  TROWBRIDGE,    Illustrated.    $1.25. 

This  story  is  of  a  lad,  who,  though  not  guilty  of  any  bad  action,  had  been  an 
eye-witness  of  the  conduct  of  his  comrades,  and  felt  "  Bound  in  Honor"  not 
to  tell. 

"  The  glimpses  we  get  of  New  England  character  are  free  from  any  distor- 
tion, and  their  humorous  phases  are  always  entertaining.  Mr.  TROWBRIDGE'S 
brilliant  descriptive  faculty  is  shown  to  great  advantage  in  the  opening  chapter 
of  the  book  by  a  vivid  picture  of  a  village  fire,  and  is  manifested  elsewhere  with 
equally  telling  effect."  —  Boston  Courier. 

The  Pocket  Rifle.    By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Illustrated.    $1.25. 

"A  boy's  story  which  will  be  read  with  avidity,  as  it  ought  to  be,  it  is  so 
brightly  and  frankly  written,  and  with  such  evident  knowledge  of  the  tempera- 
ments and  habits,  the  friendships  and  enmities  of  schoolboys."  —  New  York 
Mail. 

11  This  is  a  capital  story  for  boys.  'TROWBRIDGE  never  tells  a  story  poorly. 
It  teaches  honesty,  integrity,  ana  friendship,  and  how  best  they  can  be  pro- 
moted. It  shows  the  danger  of  hasty  judgment  and  circumstantial  evidence; 
that  right-doing  pays,  and  dishonesty  never."  —  Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 


The  ^Tolly  Rover.     ByJ.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.     Illustrated.     $1.25. 

"  This  book  will  help  to  neutralize  the  ill  effects  of  any  poison  which  children 
may  have  swallowed  in  the  way  of  sham-adventurous  stories  and  wildly  fictitious 
tales.  'The  Jolly  Rover'  runs  away  from  home,  and  meets  life  as  it  is,  till  he 
is  glad  enough  to  seek  again  his  father's  house.  Mr.  TROWBRIDGE  has  the 
power  of  making  an  instructive  story  absorbing  in  its  interest,  and  of  covering 
a  moral  so  that  it  is  easy  to  take."—  Christian  Intelligencer. 

Young  Joe,  AND  OTHER  BOYS.     ByJ.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Illus- 
trated.   $1.25. 

"Young  Joe,"  who  lived  at  Bass  Cove,  where  he  shot  wild  ducks,  took  some 
to  town  for  sale,  and  attracted  the  attention  of  &  portly  gentleman  fond  of  shoot- 
ing. This  gentleman  went  duck  shooting  with  Joe,  and  their  adventures  were 
more  amusing  to  the  boy  than  to  the  amateur  sportsman. 

There  are  thirteen  other  short  stories  in  the  book  which  will  be  sure  to  please 
the  young  folks. 

The  Vagabonds:    AN  ILLUSTRATED   POEM.    By  J.  T.  TROW- 
BRIDGE.    Cloth.     $1.50. 

"  The  Vagabonds  "  are  a  strolling  fiddler  and  his  dog.  The  fiddler  has  been 
ruined  by  drink,  and  his  monologue  is  one  of  the  most  pathetic  and  effective 
pieces  in  our  literature. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREE. 


J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE'S  BOOKS 

THE  TIDE-MILL  ^TORIES.    6  volumes. 

Phil  and  His  Friends.    By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Illustrated. 

$1.25. 

The  hero  is  the  son  of  a  man  who  from  drink  got  into  debt,  and,  after  having 
given  a  paper  to  a  creditor  authorizing  him  to  keep  the  son  as  a  security  for 
nis  claim,  ran  away,  leaving  poor  Phil  a  bond  slave.  The  story  involves  a 
great  marry  unexpected  incidents,  some  of  which  are  painful,  and  some  comic. 
Phil  manfully  works  for  a  year,  cancelling  his  father's  debt,  and  then  escapes. 
The  characters  are  strongly  drawn,  and  the  story  is  absorbingly  interesting. 

The  Tinkham  Brothers'  Tide-I^Iill.    By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE. 

Illustrated.     $1.25. 

"  The  Tinkham  Brothers  "  were  the  devoted  sons  of  an  invalid  mother.  The 
story  tells  how  they  purchased  a  tide-mill,  which  afterwards,  by  the  ill-will  and 
obstinacy  of  neighbors,  became  a  source  of  much  trouble  to  them.  It  tells  also 
how,  by  discretion  and  the  exercise  of  a  peaceable  spirit,  they  at  last  overcame 
all  difficulties. 

"  Mr.  TROWBRIDGE'S  humor,  his  fidelity  to  nature,  and  story-telling  power 
lose  nothing  with  years;  and  he  stands  at  the  head  of  those  who  are  furnrshing 
a  literature  for  the  young,  clean  and  sweet  in  tone,  and  always  of  interest  and 
value."—  The  Continent. 

The   Satin-WOOd  Box.     By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.     Illustrated. 
$1.25. 

"  Mr.  TROWBRIDGE  has  always  a  purpose  in  his  writings,  and  this  time  he 
has  undertaken  to  show  how  very  near  an  innocent  boy  can  come  to  the  guilty 
edge  and  yet  be  able  by  fortunate  circumstances  to  rid  himself  of  all  suspicion 
of  evil.  There  is  something  winsome  about  the  hero;  but  he  has  a  singular 
way  of  falling  into  bad  luck,  although  the  careful  reader  will  never  feel  the 
least  disposed  to  doubt  his  honesty.  ...  It  is  the  pain  and  perplexity  which 
impart  to  the  story  its  intense  interest."  —  Syracuse  Standard. 

The  Little  Master.    By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Illustrated.    $1.25. 

This  is  the  story  of  a  schoolmaster,  his  trials,  disappointments,  and  final 
victory.  It  will  recall  to  many  a  man  his  experience  in  teaching  pupils,  and 
in  managing  their  opinionated  and  self-willed  parents.  The  story  has  the 
charm  which  is  always  found  in  Mr.  TROWBRIDGE'S  works. 

'« Many  a  teacher  could  profit  by  reading  of  this  plucky  little  schoolmaster." 
—  Journal  of  Education. 

His  One  Fault.    By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Illustrated.    $1.25. 

"As  for  the  hero  of  this  story,  'His  One  Fault' was  absent-mindedness.  He 
forgot  to  lock  his"uncle's  stable  door,  and  the  horse  was  stolen.  In  seeking  to 
recover  the  stolen  horse,  he  unintentionally  stole  another.  In  trying  to  restore 
the  wrong  horse  to  his  rightful  owner,  he  was  himself  arrested.  After  no  end 
of  comic  and  dolorous  adventures,  he  surmounted  all  his  misfortunes  by  down- 
right pluck  and  genuine  good  feeling.  It  is  a  noble  contribution  to  juvenile 
literature."  —  Woman's  Journal. 

Peter  Budstone.    By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Illustrated.    $1.25. 

"  TROWBRIDGE'S  other  books  have  been  admirable  and  deservedly  popular, 
but  this  one,  in  our  opinion,  is  the  best  yet.  It  is  a  story  at  once  spirited  and 
touching,  with  a  certain  dramatic  and  artistic  quality  that  appeals  to  the  literary 
sense  as  well  as  to  the  story-loving  appetite.  In  it  Mr.  TROWBRIDGE  has  not 
lectured  or  moralized  or  remonstrated;  he  has  simply  shown  boys  what  they 
are  doing  when  they  contemplate  hazing.  By  a  good  artistic  impulse  we  are 
not  shown  the  hazing  at  all ;  when  the  story  begins,  the  hazing  is  already  over, 
and  we  are  introduced  immediately  to  the  results.  It  is  an  artistic  touch  also 
that  the  boy  injured  is  not  hurt  because  he  is  a  fellow  of  delicate  nerves,  but  be- 
cause of  his  very  strength,  and  the  power  with  which  he  resisted  until  overcome 
by  numbers,  and  subjected  to  treatment  which  left  him  insane.  His  insanity 
takes  the  form  of  harmless  delusion,  and  the  absurdity  of  his  ways  and  talk 
enables  the  author  to  lighten  the  sombreness  without  weakening  the  moral,  in 
a  way  that  ought  to  win  all  boys  to  his  side."  —  The  Critic. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARO,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREE 


J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE'S  BOOKS 


THE  TOBY  TRAFFORD   SERIES.    3  volumes. 

The  Fortunest^  ^ofoy  Trafford.     By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE. 

Illustrated,     <?  i 

"If  to  make  children's  stones  as  true  to  nature  as  the  stories  which  the 
masters  of  fiction  write  for  children  of  a  larger  growth  be  an  uncommon 
achievement,  and  one  that  is  worthy  of  wide  recognition,  that  recognition 
should  be  given  to  Mr.  J.  T.  TKOWBRIDGE  for  his  many  achievements  in  this 
difficult  walk  of  literary  art.  Mr.  TROWBRIDGE  has  a  good  perception  of 
character,  which  he  draws  with  skill;  he  has  abundance  of  invention,  which  he 
never  abuses;  and  he  has,  what  so  many  American  writers  have  not,  an  easy, 
graceful  stvle,  which  can  be  humorous,  or  pathetic,  or  poetic."  —  R .  H.  Stoddard 
in  New  York  Mail. 

Father  Brighthopes  :  AN  OLD  CLERGYMAN'S  VACATION.    By 
J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Illustrated.    $1.25. 

This  book  was  published  in  the  early  fifties  by  Phillips,  Sampson  &  Co.,  of 
which  firm  Mr.  Lee  (of  Lee  and  Shepard)  was  then  a  member.  It  was  very 
favorably  received,  and  was  followed  by  other  stories,  —  a  long  series  of  them, 

—  still  lengthening,  and  which,  it  is  hoped,  may  be  prolonged    indefinitely. 
Recently  a  new  edition  has  appeared,  and  for  a  preface  the  author  has  related 
with  touching  simplicity  the  account  of  his  first  experience  in  authorship. 

It  is  well  known  that  Mr.  TROWBRIDGE  is  primarily  a  poet.  Some  beautiful 
poems  of  his  were  printed  in  the  early  numbers  of  the  Atlantic  Monthly  (in 
company  with  poems  by  LONGFELLOW,  EMERSON,  LOWELL,  and  HOLIVIES), 
and  were  well  received.  "At  Sea"  is  a  gem  that  has  become  classic.  The 
poetic  faculty  has  not  been  without  use  to  the  story-writer.  The  perception  of 
beauty  in  nature  and  in  human  nature  is  always  evident  even  in  his  realistic 
prose.  But  his  poetic  gift  never  leads  him  into  sentimentality,  and  his  char- 
acters are  true  children  of  men,  with  natural  faults  as  well  as  natural  gifts  and 
graces.  His  stories  are  intensely  human,  with  a  solid  basis,  and  with  an 
instinctive  dramatic  action.  He  has  never  written  an  uninteresting  book. 

Woodie  Thorpe's  Pilgrimage,    AND  OTHER  STORIES.     By 
J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Illustrated.     $1.25. 

"  The  scenes  are  full  of  human  interest  and  lifelikeness,  and  will  please  many 
an  old  reader,  as  well  as  the  younger  folks  for  whose  delectation  it  is  intended. 
As  in  all  the  books  of  this  author  the  spirit  is  manly,  sincere,  and  in  the  best 
sense  moral  There  is  no  'goody'  talk  and  no  cant,  but  principles  of 
truthfulness,  integrity,  and  self-reliance  are  quietly  inculcated  by  example. 
It  is  safe  to  say  that  any  boy  will  be  the  better  for  reading  books  like  this." 

—  St.  Botolph. 

Neighbors'  Wives.    By  J.  T.  TROWBRIDGE.    Cloth.    $1.50. 

As  a  novelty,  the  following  acrostic  is  presented.  The  praise  from  the  dif. 
ferent  newspapers  is  brief,  but  to  the  point. 

N  ot  in  the  least  tiresome.—  Troy  Press. 

E  xquisite  touches  of  character. —  Salem  Observer. 

J.  ntroducing  strong  scenes  with  rare  skill. —  Gloucester  Telegraph. 

G  roups  well  certain  phases  of  character.  —  New  Bedford  Standard. 
H  appy  sprightliness  of  style  and  vivacity  which  fascinates  —  Dover  Legion. 
B  y  many  considered  the  author's  best.  —  Journal. 
O  ne  of  the  best  of  TROWBRIDGE'S  stories. —  Commonwealth. 
R  eader  finds  it  difficult  to  close  the  book.  — //earth  and  Home. 

S  toryall  alive  with  adventures  and  incidents  striking  and  vivid. — Dover  Star. 
W  hich  is  one  of  TROWBRIDGE'S  brightest  and  best.  —  Boston  Transcript. 

I  s  destined  to  be  enjoyed  mightily.—  Salem  Observer. 
V  ery  pleasant  reading.  —  New  York  Leader. 
E  xcefe  any  of  the  author's  former  books.  —  Montana  American. 

S  tory  is  in  the  author's  best  vein.  —  New  Haven  Register. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,  BOSTON,  SEND  THEIR  COMPLETE  CATALOGUE  FREE, 


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